Martin Harley

Principal Trainers: Jim Bolger, Shaun Harley, Niall Moran

Notable Wins:

• Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Derby (Spelterini 2010)
• Madrid Handicap (Badger Or Bust 2009)
• September Premier Handicap (Muskatsturm 2008)
• Ulster Oaks (Angels Story 2008)

Early Days

In common with many of Ireland’s top riders, Martin Harley is a graduate of the pony racing circuit. A native of Co. Donegal, Harley was apprenticed to Jim Bolger and took his first ride on the racecourse when he was 17-years-old, finishing second in a handicap at Navan on the Bolger-trained Conclave on June 15th 2007. He did not have to wait long to get off the mark, riding the Niall Moran-trained Proud Ruler to success in a handicap at Down Royal on June 24th on just his fifth racecourse ride. Two days later, Harley followed up on the same horse in a similar event at Sligo. In early-August, he continued the fast start to his career, gaining two wins in three days on the Sean Treacy-trained Dane Blue and winning on the Michael Connell-trained Solar Sail at Tralee a fortnight later. Such a fast start very much brought him to the attention of the wider racing public, resulting in him being given a quantity of outside rides that would be the envy of any apprentice. He rewarded that support with a solid finish to the season, riding winners on the Ado McGuinness-trained Distant Piper and the Liam Roche-trained Mr Smiley, giving him a total of seven winners for his first term as an apprentice rider.

A Successful Second Season

2008 saw Harley very much build on the promise of his first season. He got off the mark for the year when riding a winner for the legendary Barney Curley on a horse called Faraday in a minor event at Wolverhampton and with Curley having tutored the likes of Jamie Spencer in the past, it was high praise indeed that he sought Harley’s services. He kicked off the Irish turf season in perfect style, winning the Madrid Handicap on the first Curragh card of the season on the Liam Roche-trained Badger Or Bust. The following few months saw him consistently gain entry to the winner’s enclosure and he gained the biggest win of his career at the time when partnering the Jim Bolger-trained Angel’s Story to success in the Ulster Oaks at Down Royal in June. Two days later, Harley began what would without doubt be his most successful and indeed satisfying partnership of the season on a horse called Muskatsturm, an injury-prone cast-off who was trained by his brother, Shaun Harley. The nine-year-old was nursed back to health by Shaun after over three years off the track and he returned to form in spectacular fashion under Martin in 2008, winning a claimer and a handicap at Sligo before recording an astounding 15 lengths success in the valuable September Premier Handicap at the Curragh, giving the Harley family a day to remember.

Disaster Strikes

Having enjoyed spell riding in Dubai during the winter, Harley returned for the 2009 season full of energy and ambition, but having ridden five winners in the opening months of the season, his campaign was brought to a grinding halt as he suffered a serious back injury in a fall at Clonmel in May. Harley returned to the racecourse in September, but he came back a bit too fast and despite riding a winner later that month, it soon became clear that his back was giving him trouble and he took the decision to stop race riding in early-October in a bid to be fighting fit for the 2010 season.

Harley began the 2010 season with plenty to prove and while he was soon back among the winners, he had another setback when suffering a broken ankle in a pre-race incident at the Curragh in May. That kept him out for another six weeks, but having made his return to the racecourse, he was soon back in winning form. Indeed, just a fortnight after he returned, he gained his biggest winner of the season when riding the Jim Bolger-trained Spelterini to success in the Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Derby on Irish Derby weekend at the Curragh. He continued to ride winners through to the end of the campaign and finished up with a total of 16 winners, which was a fine achievement in the circumstances.

With Martin Harley having already suffered his share of bad luck in recent seasons, he is due a change of fortune and granted he gets it, his talent is sufficient to see him ride plenty of big-race winners for many years to come.

 Info supplied by Horse Racing Ireland - Updated January 2011