The grandson of retired Central Coast trainer Albert Stapleford, Mitch had the sport thrust on him growing up and rejected it.

Now the 21-year-old can't get enough of it.

Eight months into his riding career, Stapleford scored his 25^th winner on Monday at Newcastle, producing a rail-hugging ride on Lyle Chandler-trained Charge By The Hour to help the filly score her maiden victory.

It came two weeks after Stapleford celebrated his greatest success yet, winning a $150,000 Country Championships qualifier on Russley Crown for boss Scott Singleton at Tamworth.

But it's a far cry from where Stapleford thought he would be while growing up in Wyoming on the Central Coast.

"Mum and Dad worked at the stable for Pop, as well as my Uncle, and they are all horses obsessed, but I never was," Stapleford said.

"I was always forced to be at the stables, because they thought I'd enjoy it, too. But I never did. It wasn't until I was about 18 that I started to get a bit involved and that's when it occurred to me that I might want to try giving riding a go.

"I was going to join the police force. I did my university course and I was trying to go to the gym and bulk up because all my friends used to to say, 'who are you going to arrest weighing 50-odd kilos?'.

"One thing led to another and I started riding horses."

His attitude to the sport has changed quickly thanks to the support of his friends, family and Singleton.

"I never wanted to be locked down in one spot with a job. I can get bored pretty quick, so I thought you're always going somewhere different, you're always outdoors, it's an active job," he said.

"And I guess I was just lucky to have such supportive friends and family around me. Not many people would push someone at that age, where you are starting to have bills to pay, to say go and give that a try, even though it might never lead to something.

"I love it. I'm just really privileged to enjoy my work every day. It's an amazing opportunity that I'm able to say my job is to ride horses, while some people are behind a computer all day. They might enjoy that, but that's not for me."

Russley Crown will race in the $1 million Country Championship Final at Randwick on April 6 but Stapleford was happy to hand the reins to a more experienced hoop.

"I don't want to expose myself in town too early, but just getting that opportunity in the qualifier was enough for me and I was stoked with the result," he said. "It was very emotional because obviously Scott had no real obligations to put me on."

"There are a lot of bosses who don't do that and just use their apprentices simply for cheap labour, but Scotty is completely the opposite.

"He puts me on any horse in the stable, and any horse he can, and he's incredibly supportive. He understands I'm going to make mistakes. He's never got up me for a bad ride. He's just tried to help me so I don't make the same mistake again.

"We spoke about [the final] but we both agreed that it would be exposing me too soon. You're up against the best jockeys, and I feel like I'd want him to have a legitimate shot at the race."

Stapleford said his grandfather, now in his 90s, was there to offer tips.

"His vision isn't great so he can't watch the races but he tries to give me advice off what other people tell him," he said.

Chandler was thrilled with Stapleford's ride on Charge By The Hour, which won the 1350m country boosted maiden by two-thirds of a length at her fourth start.

"I mean, geez, Mitch was very brave," Chandler said.

"I'd have to see the head-on, but it looked like he had to squeeze into a very tight gap there, and credit to the filly, she was tough. She kept herself in there."

The victory was part of a good day at Newcastle for apprentices.

Ella Drew had just her second winner, lifting the Pat Farrell-trained Pee Dee late to score a swooping victory in the benchmark 58 handicap (1300m).

Gun Newcastle apprentice Dylan Gibbons won on Kris Lees-trained debutante Pisa Cake in a 1200m fillies and mares maiden plate, while Ella Fitzgerald claimed the first, a 2100m benchmark 58 handicap, on Steve Hodge-prepared Kikikapow.