In-demand apprentice Serg Lisnyy isn’t ready to give up on his goal of winning this season’s Sydney junior jockeys’ title.

In a season punctuated with suspension, Lisnyy will miss two more city meetings after Rosehill on Saturday because of his latest riding ban.

But the mature-age apprentice isn’t letting this latest setback worry him as he tries to rein in Sam Clipperton’s five-win lead in the premiership.

“I’m not getting myself down, I just want ride confident and keep going,” he said.

Lisnyy is indentured to Newcastle trainer Paul Perry after a mid-season transfer from Rosehill.

But his time in the city is providing rewards towards the end of the racing year as Lisnyy is getting opportunities from Sydney’s leading stable.

“I used to be apprenticed to David Payne and that’s how I met Mr Waller,” Lisnyy said.

“All the time, every time (at Rosehill) he watched how I ride, which is good.

“And his support has helped for sure, one hundred per cent.”

Waller has booked Lisnyy for Black Jag, the early favourite in the TAB Quaddie Handicap to bring up a hat-trick of wins – all with the apprentice in the saddle.

Lisnyy, who has five rides on Saturday, is also on leading fancies Breakfast In Bed (theraces.com.au Handicap) and Zaratone (De Bortoli Wines Handicap).

Zaratone needs to pass a race-morning fitness test on a hoof abscess but all going well, Lisnyy could finish the meeting outriding his 3kg claim because he needs to boot home only two more winners.

Lisnyy has six months of his apprenticeship left but an extension seems inevitable for the rider who arrived in Australia from Ukraine in 2009.

“I just came into Sydney racing five months ago and for two months of that I was out so I’ve just had three months riding in the city,” he said.