Nikita Beriman has been riding ever since she could walk but one morning three years ago as she attempted to rise from the saddle of one of her dad's horses the pain in her knee was so bad she could do nothing but return to the stable in tears.
"Might be time to hang up the boots, Darl," Dennis Beriman told his daughter.
It is a moment fused into Beriman's mind as she has plotted her comeback to the saddle. In many ways, it is the most significant moment of her career, far more than her famous Group 1 upset aboard Tears I Cry (Lacryma Cristi {Ire}) in the 2007 Emirates S.
"It hit home a little bit. My Dad has always been very supportive and when he tells me that's it for my career, it was heartbreaking," Nikita told TDN AusNZ ahead of her Group 1 ride aboard Dubious (Not A Single Doubt) in Saturday's G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup.
"It put a lot of things into perspective. I realised I loved the game and I wanted to be back. I don't ever want to be forced out of the industry, I want to leave on my own terms."
"I don't ever want to be forced out of the industry, I want to leave on my own terms." - Nikita Beriman
Whereas talent defined the younger Beriman, character and determination are the most important things to her now.
"I'm an ultra-competitive person in whatever I do. It could be playing cards, it could be a running race, anything. I like to run my own race and make my own rules and do things my way and if it doesn't pan out, I can get a little bit cranky. But it keeps me motivated," she said.
It’s hard not to be impressed by that motivation. That seminal moment with her father came midway through a two-year spell out of the saddle with a dislocated left knee and a troublesome right heel.
Nikita Beriman with Ciaron Maher after their victory in the 2007 G1 Emirates S. with Tears I Cry
Light at the end of the tunnel
But it wasn't the physical injuries which were Beriman's greatest obstacle. Significant upheaval in her personal life plus the spectre of an early end to her career, saw her staring into the abyss and needing significant support to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
"My parents have been a great support but the Victorian Jockeys Association has a sports psychologist, Lisa Stephens, and I spent a lot of time with her. When you are so used to doing the same thing, and you think about losing that, it's big," she said.
"To be told that I might not be able to do it, I went into depression and I didn’t know what I was going to do and I didn’t know how to handle things. That was a massive support network for me, having that option there and speaking to Lisa Stephens."
"That was a massive support network for me, having that option there and speaking to Lisa Stephens." - Nikita Beriman
"Then all my friends and family, helping me get through a tough time in my life."
In an industry where a week is a long time, being sidelined for the better part of two years meant that getting fit and back in the saddle was only the first step of the challenge for Beriman.
Nikita Beriman
Cranbourne trainer Greg Eurell was a key supporter in her comeback year and she rewarded that by riding 13 winners from 67 rides for him in the 2016/17 season, including two aboard Fontein Lad (Turffontein), who she rode in her Group 1 comeback in the 2017 Queensland Derby, finishing seventh.
She rode 55 winners in the 2017/18 season but spent two months out of the saddle with ongoing hip issues, which again threatened her career. Steeled by her previous experience and with the ongoing support in place, she has returned and this season has had 52 winners, with substantial support from Eurell, Shea Eden and Mitch Beer.
Linking back up with Maher
Significantly, she has linked back up with Victoria's biggest stable Ciaron Maher and David Eustace and last month collected a stakes win aboard Naantali (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}).
It was that success which kept Beriman high up in Maher's mind when he was looking for a lightweight rider for 2-year-old Dubious in Saturday's G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup.
"I've been riding a bit for Ciaron Maher and Dave Eustace and riding a Listed winner gave me a leg up into the stable. As is well documented, I rode Ciaron's first Group 1 winner, which was also mine," Beriman said.
"Riding a Listed winner gave me a leg up into the stable." - Nikita Beriman
"He gave me a call a couple of weeks ago and asked me what weight I could ride. I said, 'Pretty much any weight, 'What about 48?' I said 'How long have I got?' He said 'two weeks' and I said 'sweet no worries at all.' "
Beriman will be riding Dubious at 48kg in Saturday's G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup
Beriman immediately began preparation for the ride, employing a personal trainer and changing her diet in a bid to get down to the weight.
"I don’t have to ride any lighter than 54kg, So it's never really been a concern for me. I eat and drink whatever I like. I haven’t ridden 48kg for a very long time, but the weight has fallen off me very easily, so I'm stoked," she said.
"You do mature and get to know your body better. I haven’t had to ride at this weight before and I don’t usually have a weight problem so it wasn't too dramatic. 48 is very light, but I was always comfortable I could do it. "
"48 is very light, but I was always comfortable I could do it." - Nikita Berriman
It is three kilos lighter than Beriman rode at when Tears I Cry famously won that race in the spring of 2007. That is a success which seems a world away for the now 33-year-old given the water that has gone under the bridge since then.
"I was very immature back then. I didn't understand the enormity of winning a Group 1. All I wanted to do was get back into the jockeys' room. If I happen to win on Saturday, I will be walking around as long as I can and soaking in the atmosphere," she said.
Ready for 'home' success
Success at Eagle Farm on Saturday would be especially significant for Beriman, who was born and raised in Queensland before moving to New South Wales and then Victoria to kick off her riding career.
"It would be more special to win this one in Queensland, because I'm a Queensland girl. My whole family is here and my Dad is coming up from Victoria to watch me. In my first one, I had nobody there, it was just me by myself. This time I'll have a pretty loud cheer squad," she said.
Nikita Beriman after her first ever G1 win
And she thinks she has a decent shot at creating history aboard the first 2-year-old ever to contest the Group 1 sprint.
"In my first one, I had nobody there, it was just me by myself. This time I'll have a pretty loud cheer squad." - Nikita Beriman
"It's always tough for 2-year-olds taking on older horses but he's a very mature and strong colt. Everything he has done, he's improved every start," she said.
"It’s a tricky draw (barrier 14). But in saying that, he's out of the argy bargy and we can have an easier run, without having been in amongst the pack and not being able to make a run when we want to."
She also has a ride in the G3 Fred Best Classic aboard Alice Springs trained 3-year-old Savatoxl (Kuroshio), who has won eight of his 10 starts in the Northern Territory.
"What an impressive record. Obviously, it’s a big step up. I spoke to the girl who rides him in Alice Springs, Lorelle Crow, she's forwarding me all the videos. She says I'm only the third person to ride the horse but how can you knock a horse that has won eight races," she said.
