Tyler Schiller heads into Saturday’s Group 1 program at Randwick with the rare honour of partnering the favourites in both top-level races, a feat made even more meaningful given both are trained by Team Hawkes.
The jockey will ride rising sprint star Briasa in the All Aged Stakes (1400m) and promising juvenile Nepotism in the Champagne Stakes (1600m), continuing his strong association with the training trio of John, Wayne, and Michael Hawkes.
“It’s great they’re both for Team Hawkes,” Schiller said.
“That was the great thing about winning the T J Smith (Stakes) on Briasa. I’ve done a lot of work with the Hawkes team and to reward Michael, Wayne and John with a Group One makes it even more special.”
Although John Hawkes doesn’t frequent racecourses as often these days, his influence remains strong, especially in mentoring Schiller’s growth in the saddle.
“As Michael says, he has been around a long time and he has watched thousands of races,” Schiller said.
“To have him in my corner, even rides that aren’t for the Hawkes team, he is happy to ask about them and tell me where I should do something different and it always improves me as a rider.”
Schiller and Hawkes Racing already combined for Group 1 success this autumn with Briasa, and Schiller believes the gelding is far from done yet.
With seven wins from nine starts, Briasa heads into the All Aged Stakes in peak form, and Schiller is confident the step up to 1400m won’t pose a challenge.
“It’s unknown how far he can go in terms of what level he can get to,” he said.
“He’s won a Group One but whether he can win multiple and be the best in the land, it’s hard to tell. He is just so dominant at the moment and he loves winning. I know he got beaten in The Galaxy but it was more that the 1100 metres wasn’t his ideal trip and the (wide) barrier forced him to do a lot more than what we wanted to.
“He’s got a massive stride and if you can get him balanced and go through his gears, he’s got a really good turn of foot late when you ask for him.”
Meanwhile, Nepotism, a close relation to Black Caviar and son of Brutal, will line up for his first Group 1 attempt in the Champagne Stakes after impressing in his first two starts.
After flashing home late in the Todman Stakes (1200m), he dominated the Baillieu (1400m), stamping himself as a colt with serious upside.
Though he has drawn wide in 11 of 12, Schiller is unfazed by the barrier.
“He hasn’t got a lot of tactical pace so I’m not too worried about the draw,” he said.
“He’s a lovely, relaxed colt. He did everything on his own terms at his first start and got a bit jammed up late and he still showed a really nice dash.
“Last start he got a really nice flowing run, which helped, but he still put away a quality field. There were some nice horses there, Savvy Hallie has come out and run second again behind Tempted so it seems like pretty strong form.”
Among his strong book of eight rides on the day, Schiller will also team up with favourite Swiftfalcon in the Frank Packer Plate (2000m), another live chance for Team Hawkes.
