‘I was a real s**t… but those days are gone’ - Pinn has feet firmly planted

Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos

Apprentice jockey, 24-year-old Wiremu Pinn isn’t the first person to admit fatherhood has changed him for the better - and he most definitely won’t be the last.

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Pinn was just 17 at the time his son Caden came along unexpectedly. Speaking candidly to TDN AusNZ, the proud Kiwi, who is currently riding the crest of a wave in Victoria, admitted “I was a real s**t” at the time.

He knew he needed to change. His days of being selfish and “acting like an idiot” had to cease. Despite being a teenager himself, Pinn was now a role model, someone his boy would look up to.

There’s been some hiccups along the way, but Pinn, to his credit, has turned the corner.

“I had a kid at a young age and it just blew my mind,” Pinn said.

“I was a little s**t, just really immature and doing the wrong thing. It was nothing major, just getting myself into trouble and not doing the right thing.

“It wasn’t meant to happen (having a child), but I’m so glad it did because he changed me a lot. I realised that I had to grow up, I’ve got a kid to look after.

“He’s got to look up to somebody, so I’ve got to start being a role model instead of a clown.

“I’m going well, but I won’t be resting on my laurels or getting ahead of myself.”

Caden is now five and lives with his mother in New Zealand. Pinn couldn’t be prouder of his son and misses him terribly. FaceTime allows him to see his boy and they chat regularly.

“When I was back home in New Zealand, I would see him as much as I could. I picked him up once a week,” Pinn explained.

“I’m on good terms with his mother, so everything’s all good there.

“He goes to school now and is doing well. Everything’s sweet.”

Had it not been for some very important people in his life, this tale might have had a very different outcome and Pinn’s name could have been on that long list of gifted jockeys that had the world at their feet, but threw it all away.

Known affectionately as ‘Billy’, Pinn was born and raised in South Auckland. He left school and moved out of home when he was 16.

Pinn was handed a great opportunity by Te Akau Racing, working with the high-profile Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards stable in Matamata. Behavioural issues meant his time there was short-lived.

It was then that northern riding master and Kiwi legend Noel Harris suggested the wayward teen head to New Plymouth-based trainer Allan Sharrock - a man that helped one-time wild child Michael Walker get back on track.

Harris called Sharrock, saying: “I’ve got a kid here - on a good day he’s as good as Michael Walker, on a bad day he’s three times worse.

“I learned a lot from Allan, he’s a very hard man but a fair man. He opened a lot of doors for me and got my career going,” Pinn explained.

A most-promising apprentice, Pinn quit the sport suddenly in 2019, leaving Sharrock stunned and disappointed. Sick of racing, he ended up working on a dairy farm near Rotorua, and did some painting, before rediscovering his passion for racing.

“When I had my little break from racing, just working that normal 9-5 job, I just realised how much I was missing out on not being in racing,” said Pinn.

“I thought to myself, ‘Do I really want to be a jockey?’ and the answer was yes.

“I thought of the things I could achieve and fell back in love with the sport.

“I’m very happy I came back.”

Importantly, for Pinn, he has mended his relationship with Te Akau and in late March, they teamed up to take out the G2 Japan Trophy at Tauranga with Brando (NZ) (Savabeel).

“We ended on bad terms, but it wasn’t their fault. It was all me being an idiot at that stage,” Pinn remarked.

“It’s good to ride for them because obviously they’re the best stable in the country. It was great to get that Group winner for them and hopefully they will put me on when they move over to Cranbourne.”

Further support

As well as Harris and Sharrock, Pinn credits Daniel Miller and Dianna Young as key figures that helped him “pull my head in”.

Pinn met Miller - a trainer based at Matamata - during his stint with Te Akau. Initially, the plan was for Pinn to work for Miller, but that soon changed and he became his apprentice.

“He has been a good mate for a long time and helped me a lot,” said Pinn.

Young, meanwhile, was somewhat of a counsellor for the young jockey.

“I would see her every week or two and just have a chat about stuff. It was good. She checked in on me and made sure I was on track,” he explained.

“Dianna helped with techniques to control myself and stuff like that.

“I’m the first to admit that I haven’t helped myself in the past, but I’m over that now, those days are gone and I’m really focussed.

“I’ve been a real slow learner, but here I am.”

Others in Pinn’s corner include top New Zealand jockeys Opie Bosson, Michael McNab, Craig Grylls and Jonathan Riddell.

“Those boys have been great for me,” Pinn said.

“They tell me what I’m doing well, where I can improve and to keep my feet on the ground.

“Jonathan gives me a boot up the arse and gets me in line when I need it.”

Comparisons to a star

There’s many similarities between Pinn and Walker. Both are proud Maoris, were supremely talented at a young age, worked for Sharrock and had attitude problems.

Walker was a teen sensation, notching 131 wins in his first season (1999/00). At just 15, he won both the Champion Apprentice and Champion Jockey titles. Walker was the country’s best rider and the pin-up boy of racing in New Zealand.

He enjoyed a glittering career - one that had its challenges - before injury forced him into retirement earlier this year with 25 Group 1 victories to his name.

“We’re obviously a couple of Maori boys,” Pinn commented.

“He was a great rider and I’d be very happy if I could achieve half of what he did.”

A bright future

Pinn made every post a winner since crossing the Tasman and being apprenticed to Michael Kent Snr at Cranbourne.

After saluting aboard Born Hustler (Tarzino {NZ}) at Sandown-Hillside on Wednesday, he has six city wins in Melbourne and chalked up a treble at the same track last Saturday. One of Saturday’s triumphs was aboard the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Extratwo (Toronado {Ire}). Co-trainer Eustace was full of praise for the apprentice.

“He’s a good young lad at the right weight and he seems a very relaxed sort of character,” Eustace said.

“We see him a bit in the mornings where he helps us out and I’m sure if he keeps his head down, he’ll go far.”

Fellow-trainers Michael Kent Jnr and John Leek Jnr also sung Pinn’s praises after he guided horses from their respective stables to victory.

“A genius ride by the kid there,” Kent Jnr said.

“The secret is out how good that kid rides.”

Leek Jnr added: “This kid is going to be a superstar, honestly.”

Pinn’s 3kg metropolitan claim was on Tuesday reduced to 2kg, with Racing Victoria (RV) concluding the number of New Zealand wins currently attributed to Pinn’s metropolitan claim was incorrect.

The 24-year-old is thrilled he decided to step outside his comfort zone.

“I’m loving it. I’ve only been here a couple of weeks, but everything’s going good. I’m getting great support,” he said.

“I just think everything is more advanced, the tracks, the prizemoney, the atmosphere… it’s all just bigger here than back home.

“Mick (Kent Snr) has been great.

“Like I said, my past is just that and I’m here to focus. I’m going to try my best to not step out of line.”

Asked if he would like to extend his stay, Pinn, whose partner is New Zealand’s leading apprentice Tayla Mitchell, was emphatic: “Yeah, 100 per cent. If Racing Victoria gives me an extension, I will try and stay as long as I can.

“Tayla and I have actually been talking about it.

“If I want to live a good life, I think there’s a big future for me here in Australia, especially if I keep getting the support that I am getting. I don’t see myself going home.

“My favourite race is The Everest, I love that race. It would be a dream to ride in it and if I was to win it it would be like winning the Lotto.”