Matthews exits as RV reshapes apprentice program

Racing Victoria has restructured its elite Apprentice Jockey Program, with former Group 1-winning rider Alf Matthews a casualty of the administrative overhaul.

Matthews, a 10-time Group 1-winning jockey, had shared apprentice coaching duties with Darren Gauci since being appointed to the role in 2020.

The pair were required to reapply for a single position as part of a revised model that will hand greater responsibility for the apprentice pathway to the Victorian Jockeys’ Association (VJA).

VJA chief executive Matthew Hyland and operations officer Matt Pumpa both have previous experience in apprentice coaching, with Pumpa returning to Lindsay Park after the pandemic before later joining the association’s executive team.

The changes follow Racing Victoria’s broader organisational restructuring last year, which resulted in about 30 redundancies across media and administrative departments.