Apprentice Leah Martyn is set to join the Tony Gollan stable with Brisbane’s leading trainer giving the young rider the same opportunity he has previously afforded the likes of Baylee Nothdurft, Anegla Jones and Emily Lang, who all became notable premiership winning riders.
In that sense it is almost a privileged apprenticeship position, but the hard yards still have to be put in and Gollan has little doubt that Martyn will fit right into the stable’s goal-setting, finely structured, ultra professional setup.
The confirmed placement of Martyn begs the question. With Gollan’s superb track record in this regard, do apprentice riders (or their representatives) seek Gollan out, or does he pick somebody from the apprentice ranks to fill that stable role?
“Leah’s been riding a lot for me in the provincials. She came across our radar, and she’s been riding for me for about, maybe, six months … riding here and there,” said Gollan.
“I had a little chat to her a little while ago actually. I said to her we were looking for a new apprentice from the new season. If it wasn’t going to be her it would have been someone else … we had a couple on our radar. She decided she wanted to come down and give it a go here and we’re looking forward to making her part of the team.
“She’s already been riding for us and riding work as well, so, it’s not like we don’t know her
“It will be good to have her down here full time and really in the swing of things because I think she is going to make a really good fist of next season and be a good addition to our riding crew here in Brisbane.”
“First and foremost, she is a good human being … that is the first thing we look for … the first by far, so, I think she is going to be a really good fit for the stable. The owners are going to enjoy having her here and I know the horses are going to enjoy her 3kg claim of hers.
“She’s going to get lots of opportunities.”
Martyn is currently involved in a two-way battle with Bella Youngberry for the Queensland Provincial Apprentice Jockey Premiership. Youngberry has 45 winners. Martyn has 41 winner in what has, to date been a pretty even contest with Youngberry posting a winning strike-rate of 15.5 percent with Martyn coming in at 14.9 percent.
