Principal Jockey: Martin Doran
Early Days
Martina Doran has been involved with horses all her life. Initially qualified as a riding instructor, she then turned her hand to race-riding. As a jockey, she had a couple of rides in bumpers during the 1999/2000 season, but training was always going to be where her career was going to end up. During the summer of 2002, Martina was granted her license to train and took over from her father Martin as the trainer at the family’s property.
A Training Career Begins
Martina saddled her first runner when sending out Buddio to contest a bumper at Wexford on July 13th 2002. She sent out plenty of runners under both codes in the months that followed, but it wasn’t until New Years Day in 2004 that she sent out her first winner, with Seminole Chief winning a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse. She almost doubled her tally just three days later with Boss White finishing second in a maiden hurdle at Naas, but she would have to wait until the following August before gaining compensation, winning a juvenile maiden at Tipperary with the homebred Violets Empire. Indeed, that gelding would go on to finish third in a Listed race at the Curragh the following April. That performance would prove to be the highlight of what was an otherwise disappointing year and while she would hit the crossbar on a number of occasions during 2006, it wasn’t until June 2007 that she returned to the winner’s enclosure, sending out the homebred mare Siobhans Pearl to win a 6f handicap at Naas.
Patience Rewarded With Increased Success
After a quiet couple of years, Doran’s fortunes began to change in 2008. She saddled her first winner of the year when sending out Ready To Tap to win a 9f maiden at Cork on his seasonal reappearance on March 23rd 2008 and less than two months later she sent out Mighty John Magee to win a beginners chase at Kilbeggan in the hands of her brother Martin Doran Junior. Alice Bradys Call was the next of Doran’s charges to get in on the act, winning a 14f maiden at Kilbeggan in August. While Alice Bradys Call failed to win in 11 starts over hurdles in the seasons that followed, he more than paid his way by finishing in the frame in Grade 3, Grade 2 and Grade 1 novice hurdle company.
2009 saw Doran repeat the feat in saddling Ready To Tap to make a winning seasonal reappearance, this time in a 8f handicap at Limerick in April. Doran’s horses continued to run well, but it wasn’t until February 2010 that she added another win to her tally, sending out Ned Of The Hill to win a maiden hurdle at Naas. That horse would go on to be Doran’s first runner at the Cheltenham Festival when lining up in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle the following month. While the four-year-old could only finish in mid-division, it was a notable achievement for Doran to have a runner at the Mecca of National Hunt racing considering the small size of her team. Just a couple of months later, Doran sent out another National Hunt winner, this time in the shape of Aughwilliam Lady in a maiden hurdle at Clonmel.
A Facility To Be Proud Of
As her training career has progressed, Doran has overseen the development of the Railway Yard. The yard is now as well equipped as any, with a world-class selection of gallops to choose from, including a 7f Ecotrack all-weather gallop, a 7f grass gallop and a 7f sand gallop. As well as this, the yard has full hurdle and fence schooling facilities, an equine aqua spa and starting stalls. Doran offers her ample facilities for other trainers to use and the likes of Paul Nolan regularly make use of them.
Earlier this year the Wexford woman was certified in equine neuromuscular therapy by the College of Complementary Medical Education, so she can treat horses in training and post-surgery. The trainer also uses Niagra Equisage Therapy, involving the application of a back pad and tendon boot to improve blood flow and circulation.
With her gaining more experience as each day progresses and now having a world-class training facility at her disposal, Martina Doran looks set to saddle more and more winners in the coming seasons and it is only a matter of time before she comes across that star performer that every trainer needs to kick-start their careers.
Updated September 2010
