It's a Plumb Job

Meeting Ryan Plumb for the fist time, I find myself in front of a bright-eyed surprisingly self-assured eighteen year old - the latest apprentice jockey to be taken under the wing of the Burridge Racing Stables.

The slightly built Plumb who rides at 51kg (claiming 2 kg - a first for any apprentice here, I believe) comes from three generations of Australian jockeys and first rode track work for his father in Melbourne when he was 14 years old.  Six months later Ryan set off for France (via Dubai where he rode for a short time with his uncle, Miles Plumb) to ride for top female trainer Christiane "Criquette" Head at Chantilly, her father being the famous ten-times champion French jockey Alec Head.

When next back on Australian soil, it didn't take long for Ryan to obtain his apprentice license and, at age 16, he secured his first win for Drew Crouch on "Set Canada" on auspicious Melbourne Cup Day.  Within six months he was travelling again, riding more state-wide winners in Rockhampton, Townsville and Mackay.

With over thirteen hundred  rides now under his belt, this is Ryan's second visit to Singapore - he's here for three months and hopes to get a license for a further six.  To date this trip, he's ridden two winners including last year's Queen Elizabeth Cup champion, "King and King", as well as "King and Infinite" and scored a close second on "Texter", all for the Burridge stables.  "It's a good racing community here in Singapore", Plumb tells me, "We get treated well and the prize money's good, too." 

Ryan seems to enjoy all aspects of life here in Singapore.  With his Mum, Janet, along for support he's making the most of his time here and when not riding track work or races, you can find him out on the East Coast wake-boarding or maybe brushing up on his tennis and golf.  He's a bit of a health food fan, too.  Ryan speaks highly of both his boss, Steve and his wife Julie.  He regularly rides gallops with Steve and together they analyse post race videos.  "Because of his own experience Steve doesn't just know how to ride a race, he knows what can go wrong, too", says Plumb - good insight to pass on to this young apprentice.

Ambitions?  He certainly has them - after a hoped year or two in Singapore, Ryan would like to be riding in the UK or maybe back in Sydney where he might bump up again (let's hope not literally) against his old friend and rival Rick McMahon.  Wherever this young man ends up, he's certainly one to watch.