Samantha Zoljan on track towards city riding

By Jordan Gerrans

Samantha Zoljan uprooted her entire life in pursuit of her dream to become a city level jockey and the apprentice hoop is about to take the first step on that journey.

The 23-year-old will have her maiden race day ride at Springsure on their St Patrick's Day event this Saturday for her boss Craig Smith.

Zoljan has been under the guidance of the reigning Battle Of The Bush-winning trainer Smith for the last year and will ride his galloper One Tune in a 900 metre QTIS Maiden Plate.

Zoljan grew up in Victoria and has an extensive background in eventing before pursuing her ambitions of becoming a jockey.

She considered going through Racing Victoria’s apprentice program before settling on a move to regional Queensland.

“I did a few jump-outs in Victoria and I knew it was going to be way too hard to get into the program down there,” Zoljan said.

“I was suggested by someone to come to Queensland and pretty much packed up within a month and made the move.

“I didn’t bother applying for the Victorian program as I was originally just going to ride the picnics down there.

“But, I really wanted to be a city jockey eventually so I just thought it would be easier to come up here.”

Zoljan worked for jockey-turned-trainer Jamie Bayliss and Charlotte Littlefield in Victoria.

Bayliss -  the father of Group 1-winning sons Jake and Regan - has since relocated back to the Sunshine Coast with Zoljan riding in a trial for her old boss at Deagon in late February as she worked towards her debut.

The rookie hoop thinks Roma is a perfect place to kick-off her riding career which she hopes will see her progress through to the provincial and then city level of riding.

“I love it here,” Zoljan said.

“I am really excited to get going on Saturday.

“Craig is pretty quiet but when he sees something that I need to work on, he is straight to the point, which really helps. He is a pretty good boss.”

Zoljan’s mother worked in a few racing stables in her younger years, which sparked her daughter’s interest in becoming a jockey at a young age.

She went through the pony club system and into eventing from there.

When Zoljan did move north from Victoria, she brought along two of her own horses that she rides in show jumping events around the Maranoa region of Queensland.

One Tune has not set the world on fire in his three trials before making his race day debut as he has been beaten by more than seven lengths in every public appearance.

The three-year-old gelding is a horse that Zoljan rides in all his work – and she was in the saddle for his two latest trials – which she believes will help come her first proper race day opportunity.

One Tune will be the only first starter in Saturday’s maiden.

“He is a first starter on Saturday but he should do ok,” she said.

“He trialled pretty average the first time this prep but he trialled better at the second one he went to.

“He might be a bit green. Hopefully he can run a good race. He is pretty honest.

"I ride him every morning and I know him inside and out, which helps me.”

Smith and Zoljan have opted to take it easy on the hoop’s first day at the races by taking just one ride as the numbers will build up in the coming weeks.

It will be a busy weekend for the Smith stable with runners at Wandoan and Springsure.

Zoljan is walking around at 56kg and is keen to get her weight down in the future to aid her opportunities of getting more race rides.

Experienced country trainer Smith had Matthew McGillivray and his younger brother Dan, among others, as apprentices earlier in his career.