Racing industry grieving after suspected drowning of jockey Caserta
Racing industry figures, friends and rivals were last night paying tribute to young jockey Chris Caserta who is thought to have drowned after going for a swim in the Gold Coast surf on Wednesday night.
Emergency services personnel switched their search and rescue operation to a retrieval of Caserta’s body mid-afternoon yesterday, as the tragedy began to reverberate throughout the close-knit South East Queensland racing fraternity where the young jockey had begun to make a name for himself.
Former Melbourne rider Caserta, 26, had reportedly gone for a swim at Surfers Paradise with Gold Coast apprentice Amy Graham, 25, just after 10pm when they were caught in a rip.
Graham, who is apprenticed to Gold Coast trainer John Zielke, was eventually able to make it to shore. She was taken to hospital but was released early yesterday.
Caserta’s body had not been located despite ongoing efforts late last night.
Gold Coast water police and search commander senior sergeant Jay Notaro, speaking at a press conference, said the timeframe for Caserta to still be alive had passed.
“Unfortunately, I had the heartbreaking job of telling Chris’ parents that this is not a search and rescue for Chris, we are searching for Chris’ body as the timeframe for survival has passed,” Notaro said.
“It is an absolute tragedy at any time, but particularly just before Christmas. On behalf of the Queensland Police Service, I’d like to pass on our sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues in the racing industry.
“We’ll continue to search and our goal is to return Chris to his family.”
Caserta, a former Australian junior taekwondo champion, had his first race ride in November 2013 and had his first winner at Kyneton in March 2014 on the Matt Laurie-trained Bet You She Rocks (Fastnet Rock), the first of 154 race victories in a career punctuated by some serious injuries, most notably a badly broken leg suffered in a Cranbourne barrier trial fall in 2014.
He also had ten rides in stakes races, his most notable being two-year-old filly Jedastar (I Am Invincible) who carried just 44 kilograms in the 2019 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) for Lloyd Kennewell.
“He had amazing skills on a horse. He had the talent, he had the tools. All he needed was a race brain and it was all coming together,” former trainer Jason Petch told RSN yesterday soon after learning of the tragedy.
“This is just devastating. He was too young. He had a wonderfully close family. He had an infectious smile, just a wonderful kid. It’s pretty awful talking about him in the past tense.”
Caserta spent much of his early apprenticeship with Petch, then a Mornington-based trainer. He also enjoyed a successful, albeit brief, period in South Australia under Tony McEvoy. They combined to win 12 races while he also rode nine for Phillip Stokes.
His last winner was at the Gold Coast on November 13 on the Steven Wise-trained Gem Of The Lochs (Bradbury’s Luck). The horse is set to race at Ipswich today.
He had recently been riding trackwork and in races for Kacy Fogden while he also rode out in the mornings on the Gold Coast for Chris Waller.
“(I am) shattered to hear the news this morning, thinking of Chris, his friends and family and still praying for a miracle,” Fogden wrote.
“A true gentleman and professional of our sport. A talented rider who achieved winning results for our team, and just a bloody good guy!”
The National Jockeys Trust posted on social media: “We are truly devastated to hear the news of the sudden passing of jockey Chris Caserta. Our thoughts are with Chris’s family, friends, and work colleagues. Heaven gained another angel, and one more star will rise in the sky tonight.”
The Gold Coast Turf Club set up counselling services and assistance for grieving industry participants.
“Our heart goes out to Chris’ family and the entire racing community as the search continues,” Gold Coast Turf Club chief executive Steve Lines said.
“Chris has been riding trackwork at the Gold Coast Turf Club six days a week, so he is an important part of our racing community,” he said.