The dark days appear to be over for Katelyn Mallyon.
After spending months recovering from injuries suffered in a fall at Flemington in May last year, Mallyon was back in her element at Doomben on Wednesday, winning the National Apprentices Award Plate (1350m) aboard Skating Away.
Mallyon savoured the win after spending nine months out of the saddle recovering from a fractured T6 vertebrae, lacerated spleen, broken cheek bone and was placed in an induced coma for four days after the Flemington spill.
“It felt like an eternity before I was able to start riding again but all that’s behind me now and I’m just happy to be back riding winners again,” the 18-year-old said.
“There haven’t been any complications from the injuries and it’s full steam ahead from this point onwards.”
Remarkably, despite suffering those injuries with a month left in the last racing season, Mallyon became the first woman to win the Melbourne apprentice riders’ premiership.
Skating Away was Mallyon’s first ride in Brisbane and only her second in the clockwise racing direction.
“My only other ride this way was also a winner at Canterbury last year,” she said.
While Mallyon was unfamiliar with the Doomben layout and Skating Away’s racing pattern, she brought the four-year-old mare with a perfectly-timed finish to win by a half-head.
“It’s not often everything goes to plan but things worked out perfectly during the race and she showed a great turn of foot,” Mallyon said.
Trainer Darren Bell was full of praise for the way Mallyon rode Skating Away even though the grey was well back on the home turn.
“I left it completely up to Katelyn how she wanted to ride the mare and I was rapt with how she handled her,” he said.
“She didn’t panic at any stage. It was the perfect ride.”
The apprentices’ series began at Moonee Valley earlier this month and will continue for another six weeks in the remaining states as well as the Northern Territory.
