The 20-year-old, who works for trainer Dan O'Sullivan, is one of just nine people around the state to earn a place at Racing Victoria's apprentice school, a finishing school for young jockeys as they embark on their careers.

Kennedy arrived in Ballarat four years ago as a wide-eyed 16-year-old from New Zealand, determined to learn the industry that has always been in her blood.

"I've been involved in horses my whole life," she said. "My parents are trainers and they were also jockeys and their parents were also in the racing industry, so it's sort of like my bread and butter really.

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"I came over here at 16 so I didn't really know what I wanted to do, I probably wasn't intending to be here as long as I was."

Joining the O'Sullivan stable at Miners Rest, Kennedy quickly established herself as a hard worker around the stables, helping out as a track rider and across the farm wherever she could.

"I rode my first jump out for Dan here when he needed a rider about seven or eight months after I came over here and I just got the bug from that. I couldn't imagine myself not being here," she said.

"I was riding track work and doing stable-hand work and all the race day stuff, some social media as well and the months kept going by and I hadn't gone home.

"Every day I'd come to work and just love it more and more, this now provides a motivation to continue on."

Apprentice jockeys travel to Melbourne once a month for two days of classes where they cover all facets of what is required to become a top rider.

"It's not just the two days of the month you're down there doing the hard yards, it's every single day," Kennedy said.

"You keep in contact with your apprentice coaches during the week, sending them your jumps outs for their feedback.

"The classroom side of things, you're learning the rules of racing, you need to do a Certificate IV to be a jockey.

"It's not just get down there and jump on the mechanical horse and improve your technique and style, there's a lot of theory style, things like public speaking, nutrition and they are big on the no drug policy, a physio, we work a lot with our two coaches (former jockeys) Alf Matthews and Darren Gauci.

"We do a lot with the Victorian Institute of Sport, have guest speakers talk to us. There's a lot of motivational speaking, but they do try and polish us on speaking in front of everyone too."

Kennedy isn't the only Ballarat connection in this year's intake with Tom Prebble, son of Melbourne Cup winning jockey Brett Prebble and Maree Payne, also in the class. However, of the nine chosen, seven are women showing the growth of the sport for female riders.

"I missed out last year and I was 'head down, bum up' and it paid dividends this time around," Kennedy said. "It's amazing to see all the girls coming through, they all have terrific talent too, they are not just there for the picture so to speak. They've worked really hard to get there, there were plenty of boys that applied to, but to see seven of the nine as females is amazing."

Kennedy's master, Miners Rest trainer Dan O'Sullivan said he couldn't be prouder of his young charge.

"Each year about 30 apply and only a few get through, nine this year, seven girls and two boys," he said. "Jaylah missed out last year, it's her second attempt at it. She's proved she's prepared to work at it, her weight has stayed good which is another big thing, a few could miss out because of the weight. It's an expensive thing to put these kids through the school, so they want the best.

"She's done a good job, she came over here from New Zealand for half a working holiday four years ago and never left, she works hard, even to get knocked back last year, she's managed to keep her head in the game and not get sidetracked and she's done that and gone above and beyond.

"She's very dedicated to the cause, will always listen to what you say and uses it going forward."

O'Sullivan said there had been a lot of changes to the apprentice program in recent years.

"Once upon a time a 15-year-old kid would come off the street, 'you're small, you can ride, you can be an apprentice' and they got into the system that way," he said.

"Now things have changed a little bit, because in the past they used to be on the trainer's workcover and so, even if the jockey went and rode for someone else, they were still on the other trainer's workcover and it happened there was an incident where there was a bad fall at a trial and there was a dispute as to who should pay the costs, so Racing Victoria now takes over the workcover for the apprentices.

"In the past, I'd have my kids riding in the country when there were more meetings, now we only have one or two meetings on a Saturday so it's harder for them to get into the system.

"They now bring them into the system when they've got experience. Jaylah has probably done 100 jump outs which is like a mini-trial. When they come out they will be able to compete against the likes of Damian Oliver, Damian Lane, so it's quite a big effort to get into the system."

O'Sullivan said he hoped Kennedy might get an opportunity to ride a race early next season. "She's got to do a few more jumps outs, the more experience she can get the more chance she'll get, she'll be ready," he said.