Tyler Schiller wasn’t born when Les Bridge won his first Doncaster with Row Of Waves almost forty years ago, but the Generation Z jockey will team up with the octogenarian trainer on a mission to win him a second.
Schiller was put on notice to ride Celestial Legend in Saturday’s $4 million showcase when the three-year-old was allocated just 49kg a few weeks ago.
He has been on a strict diet and exercise regime ever since as he bids to gradually strip the last few kilos from his already light 52.5kg frame.
However, Schiller, who was born in 1998 in the NSW Riverina, admitted he hadn’t heard a lot about Bridge before relocating to Sydney to pursue his riding dreams.
“I didn’t know much of Les before I moved to Sydney, then obviously I saw Classique Legend winning The Everest,” Schiller said.
“It’s a great opportunity to ride for a superior trainer. For him to be putting me on, I am very grateful.”
In his mid-80s, there are few more experienced horsemen in racing than Bridge.
His confidence in Celestial Legend, a tough last-start winner of the Randwick Guineas over the 1600m Doncaster Mile course and distance, is rubbing off on Schiller, as is the trainer’s dry sense of humour.
“He is very dry. He’s great though,” Schiller said.
“He hasn’t asked me much about the horse, he just asks me how he feels.
“He knows he’s a good horse, he trusts the horse a lot and we’ve got a great draw (barrier six) to hopefully overcome what is a tough field.”
Schiller has also been leaning on another experienced head this year in former jockey Corey Brown.
Not only has Brown been working to help him reduce his weight to 49kg for Saturday, he has also been providing valuable insight and guidance.
It is showing in Schiller’s riding, the hoop going close in two Group 1 races on Golden Slipper day when Lady Laguna was narrowly beaten in the George Ryder Stakes and Front Page placed in The Galaxy.
“I’ve been with Corey Brown for the last two months, he has been mentoring me,” Schiller said.
“He has helped my riding, but he’s helped me off the track as well. He is fixing my style, and he’s also helping me mentally.
“I have probably been getting a lot of good rides as well, which helps. When you get good cattle, you can convert a bit more.”
Schiller has deliberately taken a light book of just four rides for the opening day of The Championships at Randwick.
He might be part of Gen Z, but his approach to Saturday is old school, and gifted a serious Doncaster Mile chance by Bridge, he doesn’t want to let the Hall of Fame trainer down.
“I’m only having a few rides, just focusing on the Doncaster,” he said.
“I don’t want to go into it being tired and out of energy on my main ride.
“I’d rather put all my focus into him and hopefully pull it off.”
