The 26-year-old hails from the United Kingdom and when her family first moved out to Australia, they lobbed in the Top End of the Northern Territory.
Through her school studies, Sophie Wilcock eventually got involved with the horses down at Fannie Bay in Darwin.
So, when the now Roma-based apprentice rider was advised she would be riding the Darwin leg of the NARS series for the Sunshine State – she was over the moon.
And, to eventually ride a winner in front of her earliest mentors in the racing industry, that was just a cherry on top for Wilcock.
"That was the first place I had anything to do with race horses," Wilcock said on Monday morning after collecting a victory on Saturday afternoon.
"I did my certificate one and two in racing while I was I was finishing school up there.
"I was able to go back to the races this weekend and see people who started it all for me, they were happy to see me back there and riding this time.
"It was pretty special and then to get a winner – it topped it all off."
Wilcock's father was in the British Army and had his first posting as part of his move to the Australian Army in Darwin.
Trudie Clarke has long been a close advisor of Wilcock and she was the clerk of the course at Darwin's Fannie Bay on Saturday.
She also spent time under the tutelage of trainer Chris Pollard, who had a starter at the track on Saturday, as well.
She attended Taminmin College, Humpty Doo in the NT.
Racing Queensland's Senior Apprentice Coach Shane Scriven said Wilcock showed "great dedication" by arranging to ride track work on the Saturday morning before the races for the trainers who she was riding for.
"This gave her an opportunity to ride on the track and get a feel for the tricky circumference and surface," Scriven said.
Wilcock is apprenticed to Scott Rodgers in Roma and says there is some similarities between the sand surfaces at her home club and in Darwin.
She thinks riding track work in the morning aided her performance later that day.
"I did it to get a feel of the track and I got to meet some of the local trainers and jockeys," Wilcock said.
"They all told me a bit about the track and I really think that was an advantage that I had gone in and rode track as well as having a look around."
The Queensland rider partnered the Philip Cole-trained Looking For You in the opening NARS race on Saturday but finished well back in the field.
She bounced back smartly in the second leg, picking up a ride for champion NT horseman Gary Clarke and delivered the leading trainer a victory with Doc O'Connor.
Wilcock has now ridden more than 50 winners across her career – which kicked off in 2018 – before a battle with her weight put her on the sidelines on race day for more than two years.
She returned in August of last year.
As a heavyweight apprentice, Wilcock was chuffed to be invited to be a part of the Queensland NARS squad.
"I never thought I would be picked for the apprentice series so it was awesome," she said.
"I was appreciative of them picking me as I have only been back race riding for seven months.
"For me to be able to achieve what I have so far, I wouldn't have thought I could do this so soon and hopefully it can keep continuing really."'
Wilcock is down to just 1.5kgs with her claim on the country circuit and was recently granted a provincial licence.
While noting she needs to work on her confidence, Wilcock is hopeful of soon riding at mid-week provincial meetings such as Rockhampton.
Wilcock's victory gave Queensland second place on the NARS tally following the first stop of the series.
Victoria leads on 14 points while Queensland is second on 12.
The series next turns to Belmont, Western Australia, where Marnu Potgieter will don the maroon hot on the heels of claiming his first metropolitan victory for the season recently.
