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Scotty & Izzy LIVE on SN ExtraReed to ride her own horse at Avondale
Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • July 14th, 2026 2:39 pm
Amateur jockey Alexandra Reed pictured with her mum, Trish, following her debut win at Wanganui in May | Photo: Jane Davidson (Race Images)
Amateur jockey Alexandra Reed is looking forward to heading to Avondale on Wednesday where she is set to ride her own horse, Zee Heights, for the first time on raceday in the Race Images Appreciation Maiden (2100m).
Reed has made a great start to her riding career, winning two of her four amateur starts to date in her first season of riding, and she is hoping she can regain the lead in the 2026 Race Images Amateur Rider Series.
The 25-year-old jockey was in pole position prior to Sunday when Palmerston North rider Hannah Wilson overtook her following her win aboard the Kevin Myers-trained Zorba at Woodville.
Wilson’s win puts her three points ahead of Reed, however, there is still plenty of life left in the competition, with eight races to go in the series.
Reed is enjoying the competition and the camaraderie the series provides.
“It is super competitive and everyone is giving it a real go, it’s really good,” she said.
“Hannah is doing a great job, it is pretty cool seeing her doing what she is doing, knowing that she wants to go on and be an apprentice as well.”
Reed will get the opportunity to recapture the series lead on Wednesday, and while she is looking forward to riding her own horse, she is realistic about her chances.
Zee Heights is a 24-start maiden and will be returning to the flat amid a jumping campaign, but Reed said the gelding, who is trained by her employers Graeme and Debbie Rogerson and Clinton Isdale, is hard fit and will try his best.
“There haven’t been any meetings up here that have been suitable for him, we didn’t want to trip him away to Trentham or Woodville,” Reed said. “He is going to go to Te Aroha at the end of the month, so he just needs a bit of a blowout run.
“It will be pretty cool to ride my own horse. He’s not very fast but he tries.
“If he can get forward and roll along, he is fit enough to keep running, but there are probably a couple better than him.”
