But for Tash Chambers, a stint in Mount Isa is exactly that.

The searing heat in the North West plays right into the hands of the former Gold Coast-based jockey.

Not only has it helped her battle weight problems, it has also helped her get back in the winner's circle.

The 34-year-old has been in Mount Isa, riding in the region for the past three months, and it has been the kick-start her career has needed to get back to her best.

Last Saturday, she booted home two winners at Cloncurry, and a week earlier at Richmond steered home a winner and four placings from the five-race card.

She has been the punters pal in the past fortnight, with all three winners in the past two weeks well-backed favourites.

Chambers said she was enjoying the opportunities offered by riding in the North West.

``I came out here a few months ago and rode out here before rodeo, then went to Cairns for the amateurs,'' she said.

``The (handicap) weights are higher here and there are a few more opportunities.'' 

The wasting game

WHEN she first came to the region, she weighed in at 63 kilograms, restricting the amount of rides she could take on race day.

But with some dedication to burning the weight off, and a helping hand from the Mount Isa heat, she's now down to 56kg and looking to pick up more rides.

``I've had to work pretty hard at it to get my weight down,'' she said.

Living with Mount Isa trainer Bob Burow and his family, she said many of her workouts to shed the weight had been conquering Telstra Hill with Bob's wife Mariann and trainer Jay Morris's partner Lucy.

``I've worked pretty hard, training every day and watching my diet, I've been really strict with myself,'' she said.

``But one of the other advantages [of trying to lose weight] up north is the heat.'' 

When she came to the North West, losing weight and getting back in the swing of riding was the aim, after a couple of fellow jockeys recommended a move to the region.

``One of my good friends was riding up here, Jacque Brown, and also Lacey Morrison had done a few months up here, and they said it would be a good idea to come up here to ride to help get my timing back and get my weight down,'' she said.

Riding background

CHAMBERS completed her apprenticeship with leading Gold Coast trainer Gillian Heinrich and counts her biggest win as the Iris Neilson aboard Winston in an all-girls race at Ballina in 2009.

She finished her apprenticeship in 2010, but also has claims to fame aboard one of the most popular Queensland sprinters of the modern era, Burdekin Blues, riding him to his maiden victory.

She stopped riding as a professional after completing her apprenticeship because of weight problems.

Her favourite horses as an apprentice were the well-credentialed Omnitrader and Rasmussen.

For the past three years, she has been riding trackwork for leading trainer Helen Page on the Gold Coast, where she maintains race fitness with barrier trials and riding between 15 and 17 horses a morning with up to 10 of them being galloped six days a week.

Plans for the future

PLANS are already in place for Chambers to return to the North West next year.

She has designs to finish off this racing season in the North West before returning to the Gold Coast in the off-season.

``I want to stay until the end of the season here and then go home and continue race riding for a few months when racing finishes here, but if I've got solid support I want to do the next season up here,'' she said.

``I really like the lifestyle and it's good for my weight - it's good clean living.'' 

Along with race riding, Chambers also rides trackwork on mornings and afternoons for Jay Morris, Steven Royes, Philp Miller and Burow, but was keen to get a day job in the city.

``I've also had a lot of support from trainer Shryn Royes, even though I can't ride trackwork for her because she trains from Richmond,'' she said.

The Coast Vs North West

``IF YOU have a fair quality sound horse that is running even just behind the placings in provincial tracks down south and bring it out here and it can handle conditions you'll do very well with it and probably win nearly everything,'' Chambers said.

``The track at Mount Isa is the toughest track I've ever ridden at.

``It's heavy on the fence, it's rock hard toward the outside, there's a lot of kick back.

``The horse has to be pretty tough to get through this track and handle it.

``The speed of the races is a lot quicker in the early stages up here, it's very aggressive, you have to be in the first few most of the time.''

 Coming from the coast to the North West, Chambers said the quality of riding was high but she felt it was a place she could regain some confidence in the saddle.

``I feel I can hold my own, but, in saying that, there are some really good quality riders out here who are really great to ride against,'' she said.

At Buchanan Park tomorrow

CHAMBERS gets to partner a horse she has built an affiliation with at Buchanan Park tomorrow.

Steinberg, trained by Steven Royes, a winner on Spring Cup day in a division of the Lord Derby, is a horse she has plenty of time for.

``I won on him at his last start and he'd be my favourite horse in Mount Isa,'' she said.