Jordan posting winners at the double

A Saturday night Melton double has headlined the promising start to the 2024 harness racing season being enjoyed by busy young Victorian reinsman Jordan Leedham.

Leedham already has 28 wins to his name this year, most recently at Ballarat on Friday night (Apr 19) with Watts Up Partytime (Majestic Son) and at Cranbourne on Tuesday (Apr 16) Our Hampton (Sportswriter) for his boss Andy Gath.

They followed up a handy night at the office the previous weekend, with a Melton double, the second of his career, on Hes A Meister (Hes Watching) for Adam Kelly and Tweedledee (Superfast Stuart) for the Gath stable.

“I’ve been getting some really good opportunities on nice horses and that always helps,” Leedham said.

“I’m lucky that Andy and Kate are trusting me with some nice drives, and even though I still get a three-point junior claim, these days I seem to be getting more drives without a claim than with one!” he said.

Tellingly, the Melton victory on trotter Watts Up Partytime was only the second win of Leedham’s career on a square gaiter.

“The first one was on Ebony’s Avenger (Kvintet Avenger) in February.  I haven’t had a lot of trotting drives, but I do enjoy them,” Leedham said.

“You have to be more patient, and you have to be much more tuned into the horse and what’s going on around you.  I drive plenty at home in fastwork but not many of the trainers I drive for have trotters.  Hopefully I can keep getting a few more opportunities, though,” he said.

Leedham was born in Tasmania without any affiliation to harness racing, despite the family name being associated with 1966 Inter Dominion winner Chamfer Star.  The pacer was raced by Jordan’s great-uncle Stan Leedham.

However, the family moved to Victoria when Jordan was in primary school, and it set him on the path to his future career.

“I met Conor Clarke (now also a driver), through some mates at school and he introduced me to Brock Gibson, and his mum Jennifer Douglas. They had a paddock full of ponies and I found my way into driving in the pony trots,” he said.

Leedham left school at 16 to pursue his harness racing career, and three years ago took up a full-time role with Andy and Kate Gath at their Long Forest stable, near Melton.

“It’s been a great place to learn, and they are great people to learn from.  I’m getting some opportunities on nice horses which I’m thankful for,” he said.

“I’ve had some terrific support from trainers, starting back with AJ and Beau Tindale.  They were the first to give me a red hot crack by putting me on all their horses and getting my name out there.”

Leedham has undoubtedly honed his skills at Mildura, in far-northwest Victoria – a 10-plus hour round trip from Long Forest – where he drives at most meetings.  This Wednesday (Apr 24), Leedham has drives in 11 of the 12 races, for seven different trainers.

“Mildura has been a go-to for me for a while. I get good books of drives for a lot of trainers who support me there, and I’m getting to drive a few more higher rating horses there as well now,” he said.

“I’m lucky in that we start work at 6.30 am at Andy and Kate’s and we are usually through the team by lunchtime, which means mostly I can get to the meetings usually five or six days a week, sometimes seven, so it’s pretty busy.”

Leedham is well on track to eclipse his personal best season tally of 79 in 2022.

“Hopefully I can just keep ticking along and keep getting winners on the board and if I go close to getting to that number again, I’ll be pretty happy with that,” he said.

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink