Apprentice Leah Martyn hoping lightning strikes twice at Gatton

By Jordan Gerrans

Lockyer Valley Turf Club will always be a memorable place for Leah Martyn, strapping her first ever winner at the track in late 2019.

The 20-year-old is optimistic she can strike twice at the Gatton facility, with the rookie jockey set to take her maiden race rides at the club on Saturday afternoon.

It was Solid Asset for her old boss Cherie Vick that provided Martyn her first strapping victory, the now retired gelding getting the cash in Benchmark 55 grade over 1100 metres.

Mare Just Vera, in the second event on the program on Saturday afternoon, is likely to be the lightweight hoop’s first ride in a race and she is hopeful the stars can align again at Gatton.

“Hopefully that is good luck,” she said of strapping her first winner at Gatton.

Martyn has a ride in the opening race at Gatton on Saturday – Dogga’s Dance – but the maiden gelding is unlikely to get a start as the fourth emergency.

The apprentice hoop hails from Townsville in North Queensland and her journey in racing began when her family relocated to Gympie in her high school years.

Martyn had no involvement with the racing industry up until her late teenager years when her mother helped her get a job around the stables at Gympie with trainer Vick.

“I never thought about riding at all before that but they suggested I should seeing as how light I was and it went from there,” she recalls.

“I started off slow riding before I went down to Sydney and attended the ‘Accelerator Program” and then working for Chris Waller for a year at Rosehill.

“My riding really started to improve from there and I have never looked back really.”

She eventually relocated back to the Sunshine State from Sydney and linked up with the Garnett Taylor barn at Caloundra through a mutual connection.

All three of Martyn’s accepted rides at Gatton on Saturday afternoon are for her boss Taylor.

“He is awesome and looks after me really well, he has the best intentions for me, which is really good,” she said of the veteran trainer.

“My riding has definitely improved heaps since I have come back up here, he has given me more opportunities, always putting me on jump outs and trials.”

Martyn has trialled all three of her bookings - Radiant Romance, Just Vera and Dogga’s Dance - ahead of her maiden rides on them this Saturday.

The resuming Radiant Romance looms as the four-kilogram claimers best winning chance on Saturday after drawing perfectly in barrier one in the Maiden Handicap over 1100 metres.

“I have done all of Radiant Romance’s trials this prep as she did not have very good form last prep,” the rookie rider said.

“She went out for a spell for a while and she has come back a lot stronger and nicer this time around.

“She has trialled really well, she likes to jump and run, so I think she will have a good chance on Saturday.

“On Just Vera, this is the first time she has run over 860 metres this Saturday.

“I am hoping she can run a really good race, as well.”

Martyn anticipates her nerves will begin to get going on Saturday morning but overall she is looking forward to her first day as a professional jockey.

“It has definitely taken a long time to get here and I am definitely really excited for it,” she said of her debut rides.

“I am a little bit nervous but my nerves are not too bad, I thought they would be worse than they are.

“It might kick in on Saturday morning.

“I am super excited about it all, to finally be out there riding.”