3 minute read

Visiting Sydney jockey Tyler Schiller sprang a huge surprise atop the Daniel Meagher-trained Always Together to score in the $70,000 Hard Too Think 2021 Stakes (1400m) at just his second ride overseas.

With more than 400 wins, including three Group 1 wins, in five years of riding, the talented 25-year-old had been cutting a swathe through the riding ranks in Metropolitan New South Wales after he claimed the Sydney champion apprentice jockey title in the 2021/2022 season and now sits fourth on 66 wins in the current season.

Yet, this was his first stint outside of Australia and his first visit to the Lion City, where he was engaged for his main assignment atop Galaxy Bar in the $400,000 Group 1 Singapore Derby (1800m) for trainer Steven Burridge.

Granted Galaxy Bar  may start at longer odds compared to likely favourite Lim's Saltoro, Bestseller, Lightning Strike or Makin, but Schiller probably gave some of his supporters more confidence six races prior in the Class 3 race with that tough win on $110 outsider, Always Together.

The Shalaa four-year-old shot to the front from his outermost gate in the field of six with $10 favourite and easy last-start winner, King Of Sixty-One (Bruno Queiroz) settling in second on the inside.

As they straightened for the judges, King Of Sixty-One upped his ante and took the lead by the 300m. But unlike at his last-start win in a similar race over the mile on 22 June when he dashed away to a five-length win from Always Together, the tables turned this time.

Under Schiller's vigorous riding, the two were locked in a head-to-head battle in the final 100m before Always Together clawed his way back for a half-length victory from King Of Sixty-One. So Hi Class (Koh Teck Huat) finished another one-and-a-quarter lengths away in third.

The winning time was 1 min 21.66secs for the 1400m on the Short Course.

With two wins at Rosehill Gardens on a wintry Saturday before his arrival in sunny Singapore on Sunday morning, Schiller was glad to have kept the winning momentum going.

"It's my first visit to Singapore and it's good to get a winner," said Schiller, who flies back to Sydney on Monday afternoon.

"It's lovely. The scenery's fantastic and the crowd's great. The humidity's pretty tough but I'm sure it's fine for the locals (laughs).

"He (Always Together ) was very brave. We wanted to lead. He (Meagher) was more worried about the favourite (King Of Sixty-One) carrying a big weight and not being able to put enough pressure on (in the race), so we put a bit of pressure on with the light weight at 53.5kgs.

"He was tough at his last start but he met the favourite (King Of Sixty-One) who was going up in weights (58.5kgs), so it's a bit of advantage for him.

"He had to do a bit of work to get there, but the big weight difference (five kgs) sorted out in the end. I wasn't expecting (him to win) because he's up in grade but he's terrific and he felt like he would keep on going.

"I didn't know Daniel but I knew (ex-Kranji jockey) Danny Beasley, so he sort of got me the rides from Daniel. He's (Meagher) a good trainer."

An ex-assistant trainer and good friend to Meagher, Beasley had been associated with many notable successes of Meagher's in Singapore, in which Lim's Lightning and Lim's Kosciuszko's wins in Group races were among the highlights. The now-retired jockey bade farewell to fans in Singapore with his last rides at Kranji on 26 November 2022 before returning to his hometown of Wagga Wagga but did not forget to link up the promising young Schiller with Meagher.

Although Lim's Fuji finished fifth in the opener under Schiller, Meagher was still glad the trainer-jockey combo won at Schiller's second ride for him.

"We decided to take the chance to put Tyler who's a really good jockey in Australia and put the blinkers back on him (Always Together)," he said.

"I didn't think he (Always Together) could handle this sort (Class 3 field) until he ran second at his last start.

"He (Always Together) surprised me when he showed the speed I thought he wouldn't. That's tough.

"(Trainer) Tim's (Fitzsimmons) horse (King Of Sixty-One) is good but he probably wants a bit further. His opportunity will come.

"He (Schiller) never gave up on him and just kept trying. That's a good result."

Meagher also took the training honours of the day with a quartet of wins, including Lim's Saltoro ($10) in the Singapore Derby (see later report), as well as Sweet N Sour ($39) and Pacific Beauty ($65) in the $30,000 Golden Monkey 2013 Stakes, a Class 5 Division 1 race (1200m) and the $30,000 Jupiter Gold 2018 Stakes, a Class 5 race (1800m) respectively.

With six wins and eight placings in 27 starts, Always Together has taken his earnings to more than $240,000 in prizemoney for the Meaghersoon Stable.