About Claire

About Claire Lever

For Claire Lever, a career in racing was always short odds. 

Daughter of Hawkesbury conditioner Richard Nutman, in 2020 Claire followed in her father’s footsteps into the training ranks.

It came after she spent six seasons as a jockey, riding more than 100 winners, including in town, a Rising Star series, several Central West and a Hawkesbury Apprentice’s Premiership, before hanging up the saddle in 2018.

During her riding career and for almost two years after retiring as a jockey, Claire rode track work for Tier 1 trainers at both Rose Hill and Randwick and used this time to observe and gain valuable insights into training horses and managing a racing stable from those trainers she held in high esteem.  

Claire then applied for her license to train out of Hawkesbury.

“Hawkesbury is a great place to train out of and a place I obviously know really well. I love doing the work and getting (the horses) to the races. The whole process is very rewarding. It is nice to see the work you’ve done and then to see them race well.” Says Lever.

Lever is married to gun provincial hoop Chad Lever. 

The pair work in tandem to oversee a stable of about 30 horses at their Hawkesbury base.

“To have Chad here doing it with me has been great and so has his support… He is there riding every morning and still rides the babies or the breakers for me. I still ride throughout the morning as well. We work as a team and have only have a few staff at the moment but they are great.”