THE HRO MIDWEEK FEATURE ... WITH MICHAEL RODD

By Michael Rodd | Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Michael Rodd has ridden a Melbourne Cup winner, a Cox Plate winner, winners of Derbys in different states in Australia, as well as in Singapore, and has enjoyed many other feature race successes. But, for some time, there has been a win that Rodd has had on his bucket list. Not high profile, not even glamorous but rather a win with a special meaning ... and that arrived last Friday at Doomben.

Winning two races for Bryan and Daniel Guy at Doomben on Friday was very special for me. I’ve been waiting for that day for so long!

When I left Bryan and went to Hong Kong ... that was probably the last period that I spent time when him and his family. I was on the move after that.

I spent eighteen months in Hong Kong and then I came back to Queensland. I was only here for a couple of months and I was on the move again ... down to Sydney, then Melbourne to Lloyd Williams ... and I obviously didn’t get to ride much for Bryan then.

Even when I came up here I was probably riding for somebody else over the carnival ... so that next win for Bryan has been in the making for some time.

For so long I’d been thinking when am I going to be able to ride a winner for him again. So, not only was it special for me to do so on Friday but, to me, it just fate that my first winner for the stable on (Eastern Paradise) provided Bryan and Daniel with their first metropolitan winner since they began their training partnership.

I think it is incredible how life works. For some reason I had to wait all that time until Friday to get that special win I wanted ... and then it happened in special circumstances for the stable.

And there is another interesting twist to that story. The co-owner of Eastern Paradise, , gave me my first race ride and also my first winner on the same filly, Tornato Lass.

She was a filly I used to look after too. She was incredibly well bred, but a sour little thing. I just got on with her, you know, and she was everything to me.

So it’s amazing how different story threads can link up.

Like I said, it was a very special moment for me on Friday.

I could see Bryan was happy which was also very satisfying for me.

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Bryan was my father figure for four years of my life ... because as an apprentice you move away from home when you are indentured to a trainer.

Remember I was an old school apprentice.

There weren’t many old school apprentices left after me ... hardly any! I was old school and by that I mean I lived at the stables. Bryan was my master and I did as he said and he worked me very hard.

I didn’t get away with much. There was always a clip up the side of the head if I was getting a bit cheeky ... to the point that one day, when I was the leading jockey in Queensland, I was suspended and getting a bit cheeky so he made me strap Jar Jar Binks in one of the big races over the Winter Carnival.

He always made sure my head wasn’t getting too big.

The apprenticeship was hard to start with but I am so lucky. I went to a good boss and a family that really cared for me. They didn’t just want to see me succeed as a jockey. They wanted to see me succeed as a human ... and they instilled that outlook that in me.

I just spent so much time with them. My first time overseas was with them. They took me on a family holiday overseas. I was invited and they took me to Hong Kong. It blew my mind.

I was included in everything. Any time they were going out for dinner or something was happening, I was always there. It was just a stunning support base and that obviously helped get me through it all because it was a hard early on.

I knew I had to respond properly if I was going to make it. I had to stand up to the hard work and the demands and the difficulties that came along to test you.

There were some tough days when you would be left shaking your head. Even when it was tough going Bryan would never say,’ well, you’ve been doing well ... have an afternoon off ‘or something like that. It was always ‘get back to work’.

Riding all Bryan’s good horses while I was still an apprentice and having all of that trust put on me at such an early age made me mature a lot quicker and prepared me for going south to Sydney and Melbourne later on.

Daniel did all my rides. He managed my life and Bryan was my master and I had a lot of respect for them.

Bryan took me on as an unknown. When I went to his stables I couldn’t even ride, you know. He took me under his wing straight away and looked after me. I thought, wow, this is amazing.

I had heard stories about apprentices going to stables and all of the bad things that can happen. I was a small sixteen year old kid and I was shitting myself for the first few weeks there but I did have a guy staying with me who looked after me ... he ended up being my best man at my wedding ... and, of course, Bryan wouldn’t let me out of his sight.

I wasn’t allowed out of the stables without someone to mind me.

Bryan never stopped moulding my riding skills. For example, I was never allowed to use the stick in my right hand. From day one I had to walk around the stables having the whip in my left hand ... left hand, left hand ... all day.

On the horses at track work ... left hand. Bryan said, I don’t want to see it in your right hand but I want you to pull it through.

In my racing days here, when I was still learning as an apprentice, when a horse wasn’t so good, Bryan would go,’ today I want you to pull it through to your right hand’ ... so I’d be coming into the straight and thinking, oh shit, here we go, and I would pull the whip through knowing Bryan would be watching every move.

Now I can do it without thinking because I was taught so well.

There are many other examples of why I have such a bond with the Guy family.

Looking back I can see how great that whole situation was for me.

Tough days yes, but also some of my best days.

Without a doubt my apprenticeship made me into the jockey I am today.

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The life of an apprentice has changed dramatically from my time to the present day.

There is more pressure on them now.

They’ve got to be more professional. They’ve got to deal with the media. There are replays from different angles where everybody can see what they are doing wrong ... so it is pretty intense for them and, in that sense, it is a lot harder on them now.

Having said that ... and this is definitely not a criticism, it is just a different time ... I do feel that apprentices are missing out these days by not spending as much time at the stables with the horses like the old school apprentices used to do.

They are riding so many times a week now so they seem to not do as much stable work and that’s where they are definitely missing out because I’ve got all of those skills that you acquire being hands on in the stables and working directly with the horses from day one.

I can go and help the farrier. I know what is happening with the shoeing. I got to know all about the horse. I had to get up early to go and help the vet during the day.

I was hands on all of the time in the stable itself. Then I was doing the riding as well. I was leading the horses to the track. Bryan was telling me things. I was learning all of the time. Just sucking it all in.

As I said, it is no criticism of the system that has evolved. It is just the way it has gone but I wouldn’t swop my background in the sport, as strict as it was at times, for anything.

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It was a real pleasure to be back in Brisbane for the opening leg of the Origin Series.

I got a call about two months ago to ask if I would come back and ride here in the Origin opener.

It worked out well because the season had finished in Singapore on December 4. I tried to come last year but it didn’t work out so I was happy to jump at the opportunity this time around.

It was great to represent New South Wales ... and to come and get the two Origin winners, and with six winners for the two days (Friday and Saturday) it has obviously been a great couple of days.

The Origin concept is a positive one for local racing. It raises awareness of Queensland races. It gives the locals a chance to see those out of state jockeys they don’t normally get to see all the time ... and it is just a great way to lead into the Magic Millions.

I hope they can continue on with it. It is a good incentive for the riders. You can’t help it ... you do get pretty passionate when you are representing your state.

I really enjoyed it being part of it.

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