Katelyn Mallyon was all smiles at Moonee Valley on Friday night for a very good reason, she had just ridden her first Group 1 winner, when Silent Sedition won the William Reid Stakes for Caulfield trainer, Andrew Noblet

A Group 1 is a big occasion for any jockey, even the leading riders, they are not handed to you on a plate, you have to earn them.

As that was the last Group1 race in Victoria for the current racing season, she can now rest on her laurels.

It was a big occasion for a very popular and likeable young lady, with a brilliant future ahead of her, there will be more Group 1 wins for her, but the first one will always be the sweetest.

She has racing in her blood, over four generations, her great grandfather, Alex, trained at Wylong, beyond the Riverina in New South Wales.

It was tough going in those days, racing on ordinary tracks with ordinary horses; trainers had to be tough to survive.

Her grandfather, Mick, had two rides in New South Wales; first one was at Hay, when his mount took charge of proceedings in an encounter with a fence.

His second ride was more fruitful, he won a race at Jerilderie, he then came to Melbourne where he became apprenticed to Roy Roach, a brilliant trainer with gallopers and harness horses, he was a highly respected racing identity.

Roy Mallyon, an older brother to Mick, trained at Kilmore for a time, before possibly heading back to New South Wales.

Mick rode a lot of winners, he was strong and rode at a competitive weight, he rode a lot of winners, for Cyril Beechey in particular.

Mick married Dianne Bones, a daughter of Flemington trainer Roy Bones, he was riding in the era of Roy Higgins and Harry White and Brent Thompson, he rode three Caulfield Cup winners, Bunratty Castle, Gay Icarus and Leilani.

Mick’s two son’ s, Brett and Cory, were too heavy to ride professionally, however, they both rode at the Picnics, successfully winning several premierships, while the only daughter in the Mallyon family, Lisa, is the mother of Jordon, he rode successfully in Perth.

Brett married Mary Divers, she was also an amateur jockey, the mother of Katelyn who rode her first Group 1 winner on Friday night, while her brother Andrew won the Mornington Cup on Tally, a very rare double, don’t worry about the odds, it is not likely to be repeated.

Silent Sedition winning the William Reid Stakes ridden by Katlyn Mallyon