Deja vu for Taylor ahead of Stradbroke
Popular Gold Coast jockey Jason Taylor hopes his feeling of deja vu leading into the Stradbroke Handicap will turn into another win in the Group One race.
Taylor rides Takedown for trainer Gary Moore at Eagle Farm on Saturday and the lead up to the $1.5 million race has been almost identical to when he won it five years ago on Sincero.
He was a replacement rider for close friend Glen Boss that day aboard Sincero.
“Glen had a contract in Singapore and couldn’t get away to ride Sincero. I got the ride because I could make the weight of 50.5kgs,” Taylor recalled.
“The rest is history with Sincero going onto score an impressive win over the top mare Beading.”
Taylor said the circumstances surrounding his booking for Takedown were almost eerie.
“Again Glen was offered the ride on Takedown but has commitments in Singapore. Takedown is also a three-year-old who is a big horse just like Sincero,” he said.
“Also they have the same weight of 50.5kgs and that suited both of them because they had been carrying big weights.”
He is hoping to have similar luck in running to what he had on Sincero.
“Sincero was drawn the inside which didn’t really suit such a big horse. But I was able to get through the field and then got a gap in the straight which helped him charge home,” Taylor recalls.
Taylor is one of the most experienced in the field and will be having his 13th ride in a Stradbroke.
He will be thinking of Boss if he wins the race again as they were apprentices together on the Gold Coast 25 years ago.
“I was the apprentice behind Glen at Kaye Tinsley’s stables and he was a great help to me as a young rider,” Taylor said.
Taylor has ridden more than 1000 winners with his other Group One being the 2001 Brisbane Cup on Star Covet.
Takedown drew barrier 11 and Taylor believes he can roll forward and get the gelding into a strong position.