Canberra's role in one of Australia's richest races, the Golden Eagle

Jack Martin's five days' iso ends Friday, with the Melbourne hoop needing to pass a COVID-19 test before heading up the Hume Highway for the big race at Rosehill on Saturday.

He's on board Media Award - the Chris Calthorpe-trained mare that's a $34 shot.

Calthorpe's son Archie's on the spectrum, which was why he chose the Ricky Stuart Foundation as his charity of choice - with 10 per cent of the prize money going towards the charity that focuses on supporting families living with autism and disabilities.

It's one of the biggest races of Martin's career and he's preparing for it in a Canberra hotel room.

He'd moved to the ACT temporarily during the Melbourne spring carnival because rides can be hard to come by back home.

But with the COVID restrictions in racing he now has to isolate and get tested twice before he's allowed to mix with the Sydney racing fraternity.

Martin said it's just all part of life in the industry during these coronavirus times.

"We're racing in different regions at the moment, so certain jockeys can only ride in certain places and because I've been riding in a region where the Sydney riders haven't been I've had to isolate from those people I've been with," he said.

"I had one on Monday and once I get another COVID test on Friday I'll be clear to get up there and do the business.

"We've had truncated rules all through COVID so it's nothing major. Just another stepping stone to get past and come Saturday it'll be fine."

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It'll be Martin's third race on Media Award, with those restrictions on jockey movement helping him get a ride on the four-year-old.

Not to mention Calthorpe's mates with his dad, who's also best mates with one of the owners - Mark Arrowsmith.

Martin's dad pressed him to get in touch with the connections and see if there was a chance of saddling up in the 1500-metre feature race. Turns out there was.

Now he feels he's got a real live chance in the Golden Eagle, where $4-favourite I'm Thunderstruck's the obvious horse to beat.

Media Award won the group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville in May, before running eighth in the $2 million Invitation (1400m) last weekend.

"It's pretty exciting - big prize money, big race day and the horse ran really well the other day in The Invitation and hopefully we can go a few better," Martin said.

"I've ridden an All Star Mile and a couple of group 1s back home, but probably not as much of a live chance as this horse so it's the most excited I've been going into a race."

While the Hume will lead Martin to the Golden Eagle, it hasn't always been a kind stretch of road for the hoop.

In 2014 he had an epileptic seizure while he was driving home from Seymour and was lucky to be alive.

He was put into an induced coma, couldn't drive for 12 months and still has to take medication to this day.

"I had a seizure behind the wheel and ran off the road and collected a few trees," Martin said.

"But I was lucky enough to come through it and I haven't had any issues since, which is good.

"Very lucky. It was a bit of an eye opener, put it that way."