John Tapp Racing

I couldn’t believe Katelyn McDonald had actually found the time to join the podcast until we were five minutes into the interview. As it turned out she took more than an hour out of her hectic schedule to cover a wide range of subjects. From a celebrated family of Victorian jockeys Katelyn Mallyon enjoyed a rewarding eight years in the saddle which brought a string of black type wins including a coveted Gr 1 success. Her life changed direction abruptly in 2017 when she met a talented young NZ jockey at a Melbourne dinner party. Today Mr. and Mrs. James McDonald are the proud parents of two delightful little girls. James works hard to maintain his reputation as one of the world’s most elite riders. His wife works equally as hard in her multifaceted life. 

Katelyn begins by talking about her young daughters, Evie almost 4 and Mia who recently turned 2. She pays tribute to her NZ  mother-in-law Diane who now lives in Sydney.

She talks about a  couple of her husband’s habitual idiosyncrasies. She says James thinks of little else but racing while keeping a close watch on his weight.

Katelyn looks back on James’ response when she announced her intention to quit the saddle in 2018.

She talks of her regular involvement with the Ch 7 racing coverage and the opportunity to work with some talented media performers.

Katelyn explains her long time working association with the popular “Punters.com.au” platform.

She looks back on her early aspirations to become a jockey with special mention of the influence of her paternal grandfather Mick Mallyon, one of the most talented riders of his generation. Mick is now 86 and going strongly.

Katelyn outlines the racing backgrounds of her father Brett and mother Mary. She looks back on childhood days at the local pony club.

She talks of her initial apprenticeship to father Brett and a later transfer to the Ellerton/Zarah training partnership. She remembers her very first win, and maiden city success.

The effervescent young mother looks back on an apprentice’s premiership in 2011/2012, the first female to achieve that special milestone.

Late in her premiership winning season Katelyn was involved in the worst fall of her riding career. Despite being sidelined for ten weeks she had a big enough lead to win the junior title. She talks about the thrill of winning a second apprentice’s crown two years later.

 

She looks back on the achievement that brought one of her greatest racing thrills. With just a few weeks of her apprenticeship remaining, young Ms. Mallyon won on Miss Cooper at Sandown to outride her metropolitan claim.

Her supreme racing moment came in the autumn of 2017 when she joined the Gr 1 club. Katelyn combined with gutsy mare Silent Sedition to win the prestigious William Reid Stakes under the lights at Moonee Valley. She revisits the backstory surrounding the whole magical experience. 

The talented former jockey remembers her one and only Melbourne Cup ride on the Lloyd Williams owned Assign, and enjoys telling the story of the fateful day at Flemington when she relegated her future husband into second place.

She pays tribute to respected jockey agent Matthew Alesci who guided her entire eight year riding career.

Katelyn delights in telling the story of the Melbourne dinner party when she first made the acquaintance of James McDonald. A well known Sydney jockey played “Cupid”.

She talks of the disqualification that sidelined James for eighteen months. An overseas trip together was destined to lead to marriage and parenthood.

Katelyn  talks of the surprise invitation she received to take part in an International Jockey’s Challenge in Japan. She enjoyed every minute of the adventure.

She looks back on a permanent move to Sydney and the final few months of her riding career.

It was a delight to profile the incredible journey thus far of a young lady whose destiny was set in stone. She hasn’t wasted a single minute.

Activities like pony club, showjumping and eventing were not on Shannen Llewelleyn’s radar during her teen years on the NSW Central Coast. That’s not to say she didn’t like horses. In fact the idea of buying herself a suitable steed one day had crossed her mind more than once. A job at a local Woolworths Supermarket allowed Shannen to save diligently, and it wasn’t long before she had enough spare cash to buy the horse of her dreams. That horse turned out to be a standardbred who’d never made it to the racetrack. She named him “Shadow” and began the slow, tedious process of teaching herself to ride from scratch. Not surprisingly there were a few anxious moments. Memories of old “Shadow” are beginning to fade these days as she boots home winner after winner on NSW racetracks- 150 winners in fact since March of 2024. Shannen joins us on the podcast to talk about her rapid rise. She begins by talking about her recent transition to metropolitan racing.

Shannen talks about the crowded lady jockey’s rooms these days in and out of the city. 

The 24 year old talks about her early upbringing at Lismore and the family’s relocation to the Central Coast eleven years ago.

She talks of her scholarly attributes.

Shannen says she moved back to Lismore for a while and began her working life with Woolworths. 

When the time came to rejoin her mother and sister, she was fortunate to gain a transfer to a Central Coast Woolworths store. At age 19 she purchased her own horse.

Shannen later sought a second job with hours to fit in with her Woolworths commitment. That job happened to be with a thoroughbred operation run by a master horseman.The journey had begun.

She says a short stint followed with Wyong trainer Kim Waugh which led to an offer from leading Western Districts trainer Brett Robb.

Shannen says she rode in almost 40 barrier trials before applying for a licence to ride in races. The process seemed to take forever.

She looks back on her very first race ride at Dubbo, and admits she got a scare when the horse “bucked” out of the gates.

The young jockey was thrilled to win at her 5th race ride on Dubbo favourite Elson Boy from the Dar Lunn stable.

Shannen couldn’t believe her luck when she rode another winner just two days later.

She rode for just four months of her first season in the saddle, and couldn’t believe the winning run that came her way.

Shannen talks about the offer she received from trainer Jane Clement which saw her move to Bendemeer near Tamworth. She loved the experience.

She talks of a Parkes Cup win last year on veteran galloper Knife’s Edge. 

Shannen talks of her move to the Nathan Doyle stable at Newcastle a year ago.

She acknowledges the horses to give her seven metropolitan wins so far.

The jockey says her weight is giving her no problems at this stage of her career.

Shannen makes special mention of her favourite horse to this point in time. 

She talks of devoted mum Danielle and older sister Lakisha.

Shannen admits to being overwhelmed by the good fortune to come her way in such a short time.

John Sadler’s coming up 72 next birthday and can look back on a fascinating  career. He’s possibly more content currently than he’s ever been, working a team of just thirty horses at the widely lauded Pakenham training centre. Half the team are pre-trainers for good friends, the other half racehorses owned by valued clients old and new. It hasn’t been all beer and skittles for the Terang born trainer with recurring bouts of depression and one unfortunate run in with a senior steward during the infamous Aquanita Racing scandal that came to light in 2017. That misdemeanour cost John six weeks on the sidelines. You’ll hear his side of the story on the upcoming podcast. John begins by acknowledging the merits of the state of the art Pakenham training precinct.

He talks about his team of thirty horses and the pre-training support given him by fellow trainers.

The veteran horseman talks of life on the farm at Terang in the 1950’s.

John talks of Terang’s history in both thoroughbred and harness racing.

He pays tribute to his remarkable parents Lindsay and Mary. His father died in 1993 at 95 years of age. His mother stayed around for much longer.

John remembers friendships formed in schooldays that would introduce him to the racing game.

He talks of the modest start he made as a trainer on the small property he’d purchased at Colac.

John reflects on his very first win as a trainer and the unforgettable thrill of his maiden metropolitan win.

You’ll enjoy the trainer’s reminiscences about the ageless Pressman’s Choice and the betting plunge he landed with the horse in the 1991 Hamilton Cup. Few knew what dire financial straits he was in at the time.

John fondly remembers his very first Gr 1 win with Jolly Old Mac.

The trainer acknowledges the talents of Kenvain and Lady Jakeo, a star two year old filly of the early 90’s.

He hasn’t forgotten the surprise phone call from jockey Greg Hall which led to an exciting overseas training stint.

On returning to Melbourne after his 4 year Dubai experience, John received an unexpected offer from leviathan owner Lloyd Williams. He became private trainer for Williams from Flemington to begin with, and later from the owners’ lavish Macedon Lodge training operation.

John has one small regret about the Macedon Lodge experience revolving around Melbourne Cup winner Efficient.

When his arrangement with Macedon Lodge ran its course, John opted to team up with young trainer Troy Corstens at Flemington under the Malua Racing banner. The four year partnership was both successful and harmonious. 

John relates the amazing story of a new Swedish owner and the acquisition of Linton, a horse he knew well from the Macedon Lodge days. A Gr 1 success would follow.

He was more than happy to talk about his recurring battles with depression. He was able to bounce back from several low periods. Today, with the right advice and continued treatment he’s on top of the problem.

John looks back on the infamous Aquanita Racing scandal which resulted in multiple disqualifications. His horses were stabled in the same barn which would later bring him unwanted “fall-out”. 
It all came to a head when a senior steward scratched one of John’s horses from a Gr 3 race. His subsequent outburst resulted in a six week suspension.

He talks of two marriages and seven children, two of whom are heavily involved in racing- Tom as a jockey and trainer, Edward as race caller and TV presenter.

We conclude the podcast by pressuring John to nominate a horse or two from his current team likely to visit the winner’s circle in the near future. He suggests two mares who are already multiple winners, but far from finished yet.

An enjoyable chat with one of Victoria’s most respected horsemen. John Sadler tells it as it is.

Few trainers have had a busier week than Brett Dodson. He left Coffs Harbour on Thursday July 9th with his bonny mare Petticoat who was to start in a BM78 at Randwick two days later. It was a case of so near but yet so far as Petticoat went down by a whisker to Zouripper.  As soon as Petticoat was ready to travel Brett embarked on the arduous journey back to Coffs. 

He had good reason to feel a little the worse for wear by the time he arrived at the Grafton track on Sunday with Miss Midas Touch for the 1400m maiden. Despite copping a hefty bump at the 300m, the mare grabbed the lead for a few strides before finishing third to You Are Mind and Occupation. No wins, but good runs by both Petticoat and Miss Midas Touch. 

Brett Dodson rarely has more than a dozen horses in work and is prepared to take them wherever they have the best chance of earning prize money. Tamworth born Dodson became “hooked” on racing in his early teens and resolved from the outset to seek a future in the industry.

He recorded 13 wins and 30 placings as a professional jockey before increasing weight halted his progress. He switched immediately to the picnic circuit where he enjoyed success for two full seasons. Brett had a trainer’s licence by age 18 and has put it to good use over more than three decades. He begins by talking about the long road trip to Sydney with Petticoat and the reliable mare’s gutsy performance in Saturday’s Keiran Moore BM78 at Randwick.

The trainer says he had to shrug off fatigue to saddle Miss Midas Touch at Grafton twenty four hours later. 

Brett outlines the backstory of his promising five year old My Mum’s Toyboy. He profiles the gelding’s pedigree and talks of the success he’s enjoyed with others out of the same mare.

He says there wasn’t a trace of racing in his family background.

Brett confirms his passion for racing was initially generated by TV and radio coverage. He later became a subscriber to two famous monthly magazines.

He talks of a friendship with a former prominent Sydney jockey who gifted him one of his old saddles. 

Brett says it all started when he visited local trainer Terry Wicks to seek advice on how best to gain an apprenticeship. He was in for a very pleasant surprise.

He clearly remembers his first race ride and his first trip to the winner’s circle. 

Brett says soaring weight quickly terminated any suggestion of a long term career as a professional jockey.

He looks back on two happy seasons as an  amateur rider.

The Coffs Harbour horseman remembers his first training win with 
a horse purchased cheaply from another stable.
He looks back on an invaluable learning experience with talented trainer Tim Martin.

Brett talks about his stint as private trainer for owner/breeder Andrew Pratten who had his horses based at Inverell. He later encouraged Andrew to consider moving his horses to the balmier climate at Coffs Harbour.

He pays tribute to the two horses who provided him with black type success.

The trainer acknowledges a few talented horses to help him along the way and gives a shoutout to a promising rising three year old he has in his care.

Brett shares the story of the amazing business deal he was able to strike with Hong Kong agents just on two years ago. 

He talks of his ongoing friendship with prominent Brisbane jockey Kyle Wilson Taylor.

This is a nice chat with a bush trainer who hasn’t regretted a single day spent in the racing industry.

Almost without exception successful horse trainers are hard workers. There’s a 35 year old Grafton based Mum who’s in accord with the quote made famous by former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who said “hard work won’t always get you to the top but with ordinary luck will get you pretty near.”

Samantha’s been around horses from the toddling stage. After notable success in the pony club and campdrafting pursuits, she transitioned to thoroughbreds by becoming a trackwork rider at the busy Grafton training precinct. A successful two and a half year stint as a jockey triggered her interest in the training of the animal and that’s where we find her today. Sam works a team of twenty horses from Hosier Lodge right on the Grafton track and has already established a reputation as a very serious young trainer in the  northern region. Samantha and husband Matt McGuren live 20 kms outside Grafton requiring very early starts for both. Matt is currently having a break from the rigours of the sweat box but still has a significant input into stable duties. Sam says he rides a number of horses before heading off to his day job.

She pays tribute to Matt’s skills as a professional jockey and the other talents he’s been able to develop along the way. 

Sam says she doesn’t ride as much trackwork these days but still needs to be on standby.

She acknowledges the input of her stable apprentice Grace Palmer and a handful of other jockeys who help out from time to time.

The young mother talks about her darling daughters Makella and Addison. Thirteen year old Makella already has her future well and truly earmarked.

Sam talks about her lifetime passion for campdrafting and the nasty injury she suffered three years ago.

She still marvels at her good luck in finding the right horse to kick start her training career. Digital online purchase Fortyfive Parklane won 6 races for his fledgling trainer.

Sam gives a shoutout to a few special horses who helped to get her training career up and running.

She looks back on childhood days at Maclean near Grafton and her early fascination with horses.

Samantha looks  back on her introduction to trackwork at Grafton. She was besotted from “day 1.”

The dedicated horsewoman reflects on her apprenticeship to Grafton trainer Terry Commerford whose support was invaluable.

Sam remembers the thrill of her first race win and the momentum she was able to generate during her apprenticeship. That momentum enabled her to become champion northern rivers apprentice in the 2010/2011 season.

She had a soft spot for the Commerford trained Montana Hilton who remains the favourite from her race riding days.

Sam looks back on the transfer of her indentures to respected Taree trainer Ross Stitt who also gave her partner Matt McGuren a role in his busy operation.

She talks of her admiration for Sydney based fellow female rider Kathy O’Hara. 

This is a laid back chat with a dedicated young trainer who sees herself being around thoroughbreds for the duration of her working life.