For somebody who didn't sit on a horse until they were 18, apprentice Taylor Marshall has made a flying start to his riding career.

Having booted home winners for Team Hawkes at successive midweek meetings last month, the 21-year-old has received a vote of confidence from Sydney's form stable with the ride on Zephyron in Saturday's Listed Lord Mayor's Cup (2000m) at Rosehill.

It will be Marshall's maiden stakes mount and his first time competing in town on a Saturday.

But racing hasn't always been so kind.

"In my first ever trial I came off one. That was a good way to start off things," Marshall said.

"I can look back and laugh now but at the time I was quite upset about it.

"You learn the hard way."

Marshall is the son of former top jockey John Marshall but despite his pedigree he had almost no early involvement with horses.

A representative soccer player for Queensland's youth team, it was only when Marshall realised that sport wasn't going to afford him a career that he considered racing.

"I literally did not sit on a horse until I was 18," he said.

"It's so different from any other sport in terms of the types of muscles you use. You can't really compare it to anything else which was the biggest shock."

Marshall spent a year with Peter Snowden and is now indentured to Randwick trainer Ron Quinton who along with his mentoring skills has instilled a strong work ethic which includes a 2.45am start to the day.

However, Marshall's six rides at Rosehill are all for outside stables, including three for Team Hawkes.

As a 3kg-claiming apprentice with limited experience in town, the chance to ride Zephyron in the feature race came as a pleasant surprise.

"It's a non-claiming race so I wasn't expecting to get the call-up but it's great to have the support of Mr (John) Hawkes and Team Hawkes," Marshall said.

"I hope I can do them justice.

"I'm still only learning and I've still got a long way to go but that's how you gain experience, by riding with the better riders, so I'm looking forward to it."

A Moonee Valley winner in November, Zephyron is a $21 chance and should appreciate a drying surface after finishing unplaced on a wet track in the JRA Plate last start.