LOYALTY in horse racing is accepted as a rare commodity because, as much as we want it to be a sport, prizemoney means it’s also a business.

Sad though that is, the beautiful thing is that when it’s there, loyalty shines out of the darkness; the best human qualities surviving against the odds.

In 2014, Gold Coast trainer Harold Norman had a three-year-old he part-owned called Lucky Tom aimed at the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas.

Norman could have put a senior jockey on Lucky Tom in the big race but decided to stick with his young apprentice Rikki Jamieson.

The result didn’t matter. Lucky Tom didn’t win. Loyalty mattered.

“I’ve ridden for him since I was - I must have been 17 when I started riding for Harold and I’m about to go 30 next month,” Jamieson said.

“So I’ve had a long association with Harold. He took me to Melbourne as an apprentice and I rode in a Group 1 Caulfield Guineas down there.

“He’s just been amazing the support he’s given me forever and I have two little girls now, 5, and nearly 3 so I had a couple of years out when I had the girls.

“I went out for a year then came back and had the second one and Harold’s always given me full support.

“I came back and straight away I was back being stable jockey again.”

She said loyalty was something you could never take for granted in racing.

“It’s very hard to find in racing. You definitely get runs with people but, like, long-time loyalty is very hard to find in racing,” she said.

“Try a different jockey is the first thing they try and they have to do their best for their owners so I guess that’s what they try to do; switch the jockey if it isn’t running for this person.”

Criticism, much like bad luck and bad form, was expected in racing, but Harold standing up for her when she was being criticised was special.

“That happens to everyone in racing at times; you have a bad run, you’re not riding well or you’re on slow horses and you can’t make them run any faster and then you get criticised for it. You’ve got to have a thick skin, that’s for sure,” she said.

“Harold’s always supported me. He’s never had a bad word to say about the way I ride and he’s always fully supported me and pushed for me to get more exposure but sometimes that doesn’t happen.

“The owners are amazing; they have always fully supported Harold and myself as well.

“I’m quite happy doing what I’m doing. I love riding and I love riding for Harold. A few rides come here and there, that’s good. My partner Jeff Dunn trains as well so I ride for him as well. He’s out at Beauy. He’s like a small up and coming trainer who is trying to get exposure and owners as well.

“I have a few horses that I ride here and there all the time as well; I pick up a few here and there.

“I spell a few horses for the owners as well. I’ve got five acres at Tamborine. I spell a few of Harold’s and I have a few broodmares and a foal at the moment.”

At Ipswich racetrack last Wednesday, Rikki Jamieson rode Zigallene, a mare Norman trains and part-owns, to victory in the Kingsley Lawson Lawyers Handicap (1350m).

Zigallene ($10) led all the way to win by three quarters of a length from Red Chase ($5) with Goodonya Sonja ($3.80) a further half a length away in third.

“She always races in the lead if she can,” Jamieson said.

“She’s usually a stayer so she gets over a bit more ground but she’s pretty versatile this mare.

“When she’s fresh, she does run a good 1350m-1400m. She’s always thereabouts; she tries her guts out.

“The first intention was to jump and try to lead if we could. There was a little bit of speed so I wasn’t sure if that was going to happen but it happened quite easily.

“She got a cushy run in front, held it together for as long as possible and she was able to kick away and have them off the bridle.

“I’m confident in this mare because she tries her guts out. All you need in a racehorse is something that tries hard every time and that’s her.”

Zigallene’s win at Ipswich last Wednesday was her ninth, all of them under Rikki Jamieson.

“She’s a bit sentimental; she’s really close to the heart. I’ve won some good races on her and, yeah,” she said with a smile.

“I only go in a couple of days a week now but I always do her gallops and stuff.

“She’s a very frisky mare. You wouldn’t put it past her to do a whip around and drop you on your butt.

“She’s not an easy ride. Like, at the races she’s pretty straightforward but at home she’s very playful and you’ve got to keep your wits about you when you’re riding her.”

Often horses behaved completely different at home compared to at the races but Zigallene was nothing if not consistent.

“She’s pretty quirky all the time,” Jasmieson said. “She’s definitely better at the races but you definitely don’t drop your guard on her.”