Linda Meech

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Linda Meech (born 21 August 1980) [1] is an Australian jockey. Born in New Zealand, she went to Australia on a working holiday in 1998 and stayed. [2] She was the second Australian woman to win 1000 races, the first woman to reach 2000 winners, and the first woman to win the Victorian Jockeys' Premiership.

Life and career

Meech grew up on the family farm in Pongaroa, in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. [3] She began her jockey's apprenticeship in Queensland, then moved to New South Wales before settling in Victoria. [4] She rode in her first race in 1999. In November 2013 she became the second Australian woman, after Clare Lindop in 2008, to win 1000 races. [2] [5] [6] She won her first Group One race on Plucky Belle in the Coolmore Classic in March 2015. [3]

In 2019, Meech was the first woman to win the Victorian Jockeys' Premiership, when she rode 145 winners from 755 rides. [3] [7] As of early September 2025, she has ridden 2,000 winners, including two in Group One races. [8] In 2025 she won the Neville Wilson Medal, for the jockey with the most wins in the Victorian country season, for the fifth time; she had previously won the award in 2009, 2010, 2018 and 2019. [9] In August 2025 she became the first woman in Australasia to win 2000 races. [10]

Meech also has a trainer's licence. She and her partner Mark Pegus, who is also a trainer and jockey, had a son in January 2021. She resumed racing in May 2021. [7] She lives on a property near Stawell. [11]

References

  1. Wood, Lauren (21 August 2019). "Linda Meech counts her birthday blessings after avoiding injury in fall at Sandown". Herald Sun. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  2. 1 2 Banks, Laura (9 July 2014). "Linda Meech to celebrate 100 winners with her Kiwi mum". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "The quiet achiever". Victoria Racing Club. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  4. "Linda Meech makes rare Brisbane appearance". Punters. 26 December 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  5. Gardiner, Gilbert (12 May 2021). "Jamie Kah records 1000th career win". Punters. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  6. "About". Clare Lindop. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  7. 1 2 Reynolds, Ryan (13 May 2021). "Meech to return to race riding". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  8. "Linda Meech". Racing.com. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  9. "Neville Wilson Medal for Country Racing Victoria Jockey of the Year". Country Racing. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  10. "Linda Meech first to 2000". LoveRacing. 1 September 2025. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  11. Gardiner, Gilbert (31 August 2025). "'Never a bad day': Why country cup wins are special for Meech". racenet. Retrieved 5 September 2025.