Goulburn-based apprentice jockey Angela Cooper will realise a lifelong dream when she has her first race ride at Murrumbidgee Turf Club on Sunday.
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Cooper has wanted to be a jockey since she was a little girl and has been given the opportunity by her boss, Danny Williams, on two horses at Wagga.
The 21-year-old's first ride will be Biodynamic in the Lambpro Benchmark 66 Handicap (2000m) - a heat of the Wagga Stayers Series.
She will also ride My Blue Jeans for Williams in the Tarcoola Turf Benchmark 58 Handicap (1600m) later in the day.
Cooper is looking forward to the occasion.
"I'm pretty excited, and a bit nervous," Cooper said.
Cooper was born into racing. Her father, Myron, is a trainer at Dubbo, while her mother, Corinne, is clerk of the course.
She wanted to be a jockey from day dot.
"Always," she said.
"Me and my sister got in and done the boxes and were always helping Dad with feeds. Then we had our ponies and went to Pony Club."
Cooper spent just under 12 months doing groundwork with Peter Nestor at Dubbo and then jumped at an opportunity to join the Williams stable.
"Danny's helped me with everything. He taught me how to ride properly," she said.
"It's great there, he has so many experienced people behind him and it's a really good team.
"If you put in for him, he'll put in for you."
Cooper hopes she can repay the faith Williams has shown in her on Sunday.
"The main thing is to get the horses around safely but I also want to impress Danny and show him that I can do it, and that he can have faith in me," she said.
"He's given me a fair bit of responsibility. He started me on trackwork when he thought I was ready, then started to put me on some of the better horses and now he's put me on two at the races. I want to repay him for that."
Cooper rides Biodynamic and My Blue Jeans at home and her four kilogram claim will come in very handy with both horses.
"They're basically my daily rides," she said.
"We have jump outs here and I've jumped them out a few times.
"Danny worked out a plan for me and wanted to put me on horses he thinks I can go well with...and take a bit of weight off."
Cooper leans to last-start Goulburn winner My Blue Jeans as the best of her two rides.
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