Three Australian jockeys Hugh Bowman,Tyler Schiller and Kyle Wilson-Taylor have been granted a one-day visiting jockey’s licence to ride at the Singapore Derby meeting on Sunday, 21 July.
Currently licensed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, four-time Sydney champion jockey Bowman has been a regular one-day visitor since 2013, and has this time been booked by trainer Tim Fitzsimmons to ride Lightning Strike in the Group 1 Singapore Derby (1800m). At his last visit to Singapore, the 2017 Longines World's Best Jockey finished second aboard the Fitzsimmons-trained Golden Monkey in the Group 1 Lion City Cup (1200m) on 27 August 2023.
Two young guns, however, will be at their first visits to Kranji. Schiller has been engaged by trainer Steven Burridge to ride Galaxy Bar while Wilson-Taylor will partner the Jason Ong-trained Great Warrior in the pinnacle of the four-year-old races in Singapore.
Here is a brief write-up on the two new visiting jockeys.
Tyler Schiller
Born into a harness racing family near Young in rural New South Wales, 25-year-old Schiller almost followed his trotting trainer father, Glen, into the sports after having driven in 20 trials in his teens and was close to getting a harness racing driver licence before he was offered the opportunity to become an apprentice jockey with trainer Phil Sweeney at 18.
Schiller was barely a few months into his apprenticeship when he met with a car accident and broke his back. The prognosis was that he could not ride again but after nine months in rehabilitation, he bounced back into the saddle. The strong-willed apprentice jockey made a winning debut in April 2019 on his first ride, Little Capri.
Indentured to trainer Mark Newnham after moving to metropolitan Sydney, he claimed the Syndey champion apprentice jockey title in the 2021/2022 season and won his first Group 1 race, The Galaxy with Mariamia in March last year when he was still five months away from coming out of his time. Schiller then went on to bag two Group 1 races this year, first being the Canterbury Stakes atop Lady Laguna on 9 March before winning the Doncaster Mile aboard Celestial Legend four weeks later.
In five years of racing, Schiller has clocked in more than 440 wins and currently sits 4th on 63 wins on the New South Wales Metropolitan jockeys' premiership.
Licensed by Racing New South Wales, he goes to scale at 52kgs and Singapore will be his first overseas stint.
Kyle Wilson-Taylor
Growing up in suburban Melbourne, 24-year-old jockey Wilson-Taylor first rode a horse at a school camp and was only 12 when he spent time with trainers Lee and Shannon Hope in Seymour, Victoria while he also received help from pre-trainer Bronwyn Upjohn, who taught him to get on a horse from scratch in Melbourne. Despite having gone through a difficult teenage life of being homeless and being rejected twice from the Victorian apprentice jockeys' programme, Wilson-Taylor heeded his uncle's advice and went to Coffs Harbour in New South Wales where trainer Brett Dodson took him in as an apprentice jockey.
He made his debut at Port Macquarie in July 2018 and won on one of his three mounts. Wilson-Taylor then moved further north to Queensland to trainer Lindsay Hatch and quickly became prolific on the country and provincial circuit. He won the 2021/2022 Brisbane champion apprentice premiership and graduated to seniors' rank in March last year. Three months later, he won his first and only Group 1 race to-date after he partnered Palaisipan to score in the Tattersall's Tiara at Eagle Farm.
Wilson-Taylor had his first overseas ride in New Zealand in March this year when he steered Grail Seeker to claim the Group 2 Wellington Guineas. All-up, he has chalked up over 330 wins in six years of riding.
Currently licensed by Racing Queensland, Wilson-Taylor sits 11th on 25 wins on the Queensland Metropolitan jockeys' premiership. He goes to scale at 54kgs.
