Silks doco goes behind the scenes of jockeys’ lives

A three-part documentary series detailing the lives of three Victorian jockeys has been released.

Commissioned by Racing Victoria, Silks goes behind the scenes with jockeys Jett Stanley, Celine Gaudray and Ben Allen during an intense week of trackwork and race meetings in the build-up to the spring carnival.

“Silks is really cool, because although it’s commissioned by Racing Victoria, it’s not an ad. It’s a behind-the-scenes, unfiltered doco, which is pretty rare, and I think we’ve done something pretty cool with it. I’ve learnt a lot more about racing than I ever thought I would,” director Bill Bleakley said.

“We’re still just making a story about these humans going about their lives, following their passions, and I think we just kept on focusing on that. I’m most excited to see just the lengths that jockeys go to in an average week to prepare for racing. So three words to sum up Silks would be dedication, athleticism, and exhilaration.”

RV executive general manager of media, content and marketing Andy Hoad said: “Pound for pound, our jockeys rank among the world’s most elite athletes, yet few people truly understand the demands they endure in their pursuit of success. 

“A huge thank you to Ben, Celine and Jett for the access they have provided us, the insights they have provided to viewers is outstanding. 

“There are so many incredible stories to be told of the tens of thousands of people working across our  industry and we are privileged to be able to bring these tales to life.”