Tactics the key to the rise of Tahlia Fenlon

By Jordan Gerrans

When assessing the growth of his apprentice Tahlia Fenlon as a rider since she started with his barn last year, it is her tactics that stand out the most to trainer Chris Munce.

The leading apprentice hoop on the country and provincial circuit through Central Queensland relocated to Brisbane with Munce early last year for an initial loan period which has since been extended to a permanent stay.

The 20-year-old was riding plenty of winners back home and found her share of success at the provincial level when she first arrived in Brisbane.

But, to go to the next level as a hoop -  which Munce did during his glittering career in the saddle – the now trainer believes Fenlon had to lift her game when it came to her decisions in races.

After recently recording her first handful of city winners, the 54-year-old Munce thinks his apprentice has shown enormous growth in that area.

“I think her confidence in general, when she first came down she was doing a few little errors in races,” Munce said.

“Probably tactically, she was not switched on for what a jockey needs to be around this sort of area.

“She has certainly picked it up pretty quickly and we have put a lot of work into getting her more tactical in her races and thinking about what’s going on.

"She has responded it very well and she is handling it terrific. She is improving all the time, which is what you want to see.”

Fenlon heads back to the city this Saturday with a solid book of five rides, including She’s A Rogue in the QTIS Jewel Prelude for the three-year-olds.

She’s A Rogue will always be a special horse to the young hoop.

The filly handed her a maiden Eagle Farm Saturday victory.

Fenlon had ridden a metropolitan Saturday winner at the Sunshine Coast the week before and had collected city victories at the midweeks – but to do it at ‘headquarters’ on a Saturday, it was memorable for the smiling jock.

“It is a great feeling riding on these big tracks, it is pretty special,” the young hoop said.

“It was a very great feeling to ride my first city winner. That was my main goal moving down to Brisbane, to get that metro licence and even just one winner in town.

“To ride a winner on my first ride at Eagle Farm, it is something that I could only really dream of.”

Fenlon cut her teeth riding at Mackay and Rockhampton and that is where her path to Munce’s barn started.

The Eagle Farm trainer admits that he was not actively scouting for an apprentice and did not see much of Fenlon’s riding work in her early apprentice days.

But, when a mate of his – Ryan Wiggins – suggested he take a look at the CQ local, Munce quickly brought her aboard his team.

Wiggins – considered the top provincial pilot in the Sunshine State – had ridden against Fenlon for a few years and vouched for her as a hoop to his friend Munce.

Munce says Fenlon had the basics sorted when she first arrived at his place but she needed to take the next step, which he believes she has done in recent months.

“She has done it pretty quickly, to be honest, as she has not been down here all that long,” Munce said.

“She has picked it up very well and I think she is doing a great job. She is doing a wonderful job, horses run for her and she has improved out of sight.”

After riding track work of a morning, Fenlon will then dig into her replays, form and speed maps for the coming days assignments with her boss.

As a Grand Slam-winning jockey-turned-trainer, the apprentice says Munce understands her point of view as good as anyone would through her learning process.

“We have conversations where he does not ask me why I did something in a race,” the CQ product said.

“But, he will point out what I did and say what I could have done instead.

“He understands my perspective. Chris has the experience of riding and I need someone like that.

“I know the basics but being down here in Brisbane, it is a whole different ball game against the top jockeys. I am lucky to have a former jockey as a boss.”

Fenlon grew up around the code with her father Tony previously Rockhampton Jockey Club CEO for five years before taking on a role with the Australian Trainers' Association.

She jokes that she basically lived at the Callaghan Park track in her high school days with her old man working there.

The light weight rider began riding track work not long after.

She believes the lengthy and spacious Rockhampton straight was a perfect venue for a young rider to learn their trade before relocating to Brisbane.

Munce has handed his apprentice 10 of her last 50 race rides and they combine for another on Saturday.

The trainer says it is key for a master to support their protégé on race day to give them the required confidence.

“All she wants to do is ride and ride winners, which she is doing a good job of it,” Munce said.

Fenlon was honoured at the 2022 Queensland Thoroughbred Awards in Brisbane as the Country Apprentice Jockeys Premiership champion for the 2021-22 season.