Ed Corstens is now getting up for work at the same time some of his school-leaver mates are getting home. But he’s not too fazed. After a somewhat late comer to the family business, he’s now all-in.
Sarah Nowland has jumped in head-first into it too, albeit from a rather different background. A professional dancer, she burns the candle at both ends, up at 4am and off to work, riding track work, feeding and grooming thoroughbreds and mucking out stalls. Ed Corstens, a young strapper at his family’s Malua Racing stables, washes down Turn It Up Tommy after track work.
Credit: Justin McManus They are just two of many thousands of strappers, stable hands or track riders throughout Victoria who take on racing’s least glamorous roles every day. While Derby Day at Flemington might attract the height of fashion and society’s elite, it’s these pre-dawn heroes who keep the sport’s heart beating. And against a constant stream of TikToks and newspaper editorials they both are only too happy to tell you they think they’re proof against the idea that young people no long appeals.
And after turbulent years of the pandemic and slow economic recovery, “Fabulous Flemington” roared back to life this spring , with crowds eclipsing expectations and the story of the Cup winners capturing the nation’s imagination. From the singing jockey Robbie Dolan , to Sheila Laxon , the first woman to train a Melbourne Cup winner on her first attempt and the first two win two – remarkably.
