Martin Harley building his own success away from the track

By Andrew Smith

A construction yard in Darra is a long way from Donegal in the north of Ireland, but for jockey Martin Harley, he feels right at home.

It is where the Irish hoop has been spending his days off in between race meetings – a part-time job that he says has been one of the main contributors to his recent stunning run of form in the saddle.

Harley will drive forklifts on Mondays and Thursdays at the MGT Construction yard and will usually be riding on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

It was a connection back in his home county in the Emerald Isle that led Harley to take up the gig in Brisbane’s south-west.

“A good friend of mine Kevin McFadden is my next-door neighbour back home in Donegal, and actually the boss Mick is as well - he lives around 20 minutes away from me back home, which I didn't know before I got here,” Harley explained.

“I was just looking for something to do a few days a week outside the horse racing - I love me horses, and I love me racing, but it comes from a farm background back home.

“I was really bored a few days a week, and I like to mix it up a bit - I've been doing this 10-11 months now, and quite enjoying it.

“To be honest, I think my wife Brittney was a little bit worried that would take a bit of energy out of me and maybe not be turning up race day.

“I’ve still got Fridays off so that’s my downtime, and I don't think it's affecting me at all…my results have been pretty good since I started working here.”

MGT Constructions boss Mick Timoney praised Harley’s work ethic in the yard, which can often hit the 40-degree mark during summer.

It is in stark contrast to the freezing temperatures that grip Ireland at this time of year, with the mercury hovering close to zero degrees.

The jockey’s love of gallopers is also helping contribute to a valuable partnership away from the construction yard as well.

Timoney’s daughter Lily is a successful showjumper, with Harley often providing training and off-the-track advice for the family’s horses.

“He's a worker - he comes in, puts the head down, goes all day, and everything that you see around here, Marty's involved in it,” Timoney said.

“That was probably something that stood out with him was the connection with the horses.

“My daughter is big into showjumping and there's times there where Lily goes out to camp, or she's gone for Easter holidays, and Marty's gone out to the property and kept the horses in work and exercising.

“There's even been times where Marty's giving her wee tips on how to exercise them and wee inside lines there that you maybe just wouldn't be aware of.

“I think it's working, because they're going gangbusters, so it's great to have that there at your disposal.”

On the track, Harley’s stellar results include a recent eight-race winning streak, all for the Chris and Corey Munce stable.

It has contributed significantly to the father-and-son training partnership notching 30 metropolitan winners so far this season, one of their best ever starts to a campaign.

Harley himself is currently sitting in eighth spot in the Metropolitan Jockeys’ Premiership with 15 wins at a 20% strike-rate.

The 36-year-old is keen on climbing up that ladder with the Queensland Summer Racing Carnival now underway.

“The winning streak was fantastic, and it’s obviously nice to get a little roll on at this important time of the year, heading towards Magic Millions in January, and a few Listed races getting up and about now, so it's definitely cranking up,” Harley said.

“Chris and Corey's horses are obviously in fantastic form - they're doing a great job, and placing the horse is fantastic and we have a better-quality horse in there now for sure.

“They still don’t have massive numbers, but hopefully a few bigger owners get involved now that the results are coming because the Munces are big supporters of mine and we get on really good together.

“The instructions are minimal usually - once I ride the horse in track work and a few in a race, they basically leave it to me, which is beautiful.”

Harley will be looking to add to his win total with a strong book of eight rides at Saturday’s Tattersall’s Recognition Raceday at Doomben on Saturday.

In the Listed Tattersall’s Classic, he will saddle up on Lonhro’s Queen who is coming off a fourth-placed finish in last weekend’s Swiss Ace Plate on the Sunshine Coast.

He will then back up for the Tattersall’s Recognition Stakes on the Rex Lipp-trained Cifrado.

Having broken his Australian Group 1 drought with the win on Cool Archie in this year’s J.J. Atkins, the Irishman is already looking ahead to more success with the boom colt who recently completed an exhibition gallop at Doomben.

“It wasn't pressure, but it was a while between drinks (for the Group 1) and obviously every jockey has gone out there to try to score at the top level,” Harley said.

“You can't do it without the horse, and I was very lucky and fortunate to find Cool Archie last year…he’s been massive for my career.

“He’s heading towards the Magic Millions Guineas, which has been a lucky race for me - Abounding was lucky enough to put me on the map there, and hopefully Cool Archie can do the same.

“He felt as good as ever in the exhibition gallop and for me, he's certainly trained on as a three-year-old…hopefully he is knocking on the door come January 17.

“The next Group 1 - if I do find the horse, and hopefully it's him again - it'll become a lot easier, because you're not chasing as hard.

“I’m looking forward to having another crack at a Group 1, wherever that may be, but I'll take the Magic Million Guineas in between.”

Harley is also excited by the prospect of another Munce-trained youngster in Zip Lock.

The galloper stormed to victory on debut at Doomben on November 15 to hand the jockey his eighth straight win.

“He was impressive in the maiden at Doomben the other off the back of one trial, and he pricked his ears going to the line so he obviously a little bit left in the tank,” Harley said.

“I think he'll have another run before the Magic Millions just hopefully get a little bit more prize money behind him, and hopefully he qualifies and gets a run in the two-year-old race.”