Katelyn Mallyon has made a perfect start to a new phase of her career and will be out to continue building on her momentum at Flemington on Saturday.
Mallyon rode a winning double at Flemington last Saturday for the training partnership of Mat Ellerton and Simon Zahra, having joined their Flemington team on a three-month loan at the start of that week.
She had been indentured to her father Brett Mallyon at Mornington since she started her career.
Mallyon was crowned champion Melbourne apprentice for the 2011/12 season but her career was halted when she was forced to spend nine months on the sidelines recovering from injuries sustained in a fall at Flemington in May 2012.
With seven city wins in the past month, including victory on Spellrocker for Ellerton and Zahra at Caulfield two weeks ago and the double last weekend, Mallyon has been in good form this summer and said the move to Ellerton and Zahra was a "no-brainer".
"They have always given me opportunities all through my career but I thought it was time, now that my claim is going down, to set myself up with a big stable," Mallyon said.
"I just felt comfortable and Matty and Simon are just the loveliest people, so joining their team was a no-brainer.
"Andrew (Mallyon) went there when he was young and really enjoyed it, so I'm just following in the footsteps of my big brother."
Mallyon has three rides at Flemington on Saturday, all for Ellerton and Zahra, including Spellrocker and Whistle Baby who she rode to last start wins.
Whistle Baby is second favourite for the Birdcage Handicap (1000m).
Zahra said Mallyon had been riding work for the stable on a Friday for several months before and had grabbed the opportunity with both hands so far.
"The pressure just doesn't even bother her," Zahra said.
"The other day (at Flemington) she rode those horses perfectly to instructions."
Ellerton and Zahra have the favourite Kaiser Sun in Saturday's Listed Kensington Stakes with the up-and-coming sprinter to be ridden by Chris Symons who has been aboard Kaiser Sun in his two wins over the 1000m at Flemington this campaign.