‘As good as winning a Group 1': Kyle Wilson-Taylor's emotional tribute to his late mate

News.com.au

20 hours ago

It was a country race worth $13,950 to the winner but for emotional jockey Kyle Wilson-Taylor, it was priceless and just as special as claiming one of Australia's premier Group 1 s.
The Jesse Riley 2YO Handicap was named in honour of Wilson-Taylor's late best mate and it was raced at Coffs Harbour last Friday, exactly four years to the day since Riley's unexpected passing.
It was the race the Queensland jockey wanted to win more than any other and it was months in the planning that saw him partner Kris Lees ' young filly Issy's Star, who started the $2.10 favourite.
When the filly bolted in to win by almost six lengths, emotions overflowed.
'I did it for Jesse, not for myself, I just know he would have been looking down from above and got a big thrill out of it,' Wilson-Taylor told Racenet.
'It was probably equally as special as winning a Group 1.
'He was a great mate, everyone at Coffs Harbour loved him.
'I can still hear his laugh, he had a big, obnoxious laugh on him and he was just a great human.
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'When he was younger he was an apprentice jockey but he struggled with his weight.
'He sort of lived his dream through me a bit, but tragically he passed away, it was really unexpected.
'The day that he passed away, I was driving to the Kilcoy races and I was just shattered, it's the only day of my adult life that I can't even remember really.
'In recent times I had gotten in touch with Jesse's old man and he hasn't been too well, I lined it up so he could get there for the race.
'I was very emotional when I won the race, I tried not to cry but I came back in and saw his Dad crying and it was intense.'
Sometimes a race is much more than a race and that was the case last Friday.
Two years ago, Wilson-Taylor soared into the Group 1 club when he won the Tatt's Tiara on Palaisipan.
Sadly, his great mate never got to see it.
Wilson-Taylor was determined to honour him at Coffs Harbour last week.
'I spoke to Kris Lees months out and I asked him to do me a solid, if he could send something that would win the race for me,' Wilson-Taylor said.
'Jesse was a major influence in my life and, without him, I might not be riding today.
'I had my troubles when I left Victoria and I moved to Coffs Harbour and he was the first friend I made there, we just clicked.
'I would finish track work and have nothing to do and so I would go around to his place and punch bungers (cigarettes) and drink coffees and just talk all day.
'He had been young and wild but once his daughter was born, he completely turned his life around and was such a devoted father.
'There were times after I had moved to Brisbane when I would call him and say I wanted to go back to Coffs Harbour.
'He would just give me a verbal spray on the other end of the phone.
'He always had a lot of faith in me which was a big thing, because there were a lot of times when people didn't.
'He is the closest person to me that I've had pass away and they still don't really know what happened to him.'
Wilson-Taylor has copped a riding suspension and will miss Group 1 Tatt's Tiara day but will be back for the final day of the Queensland winter carnival on the Sunshine Coast on Saturday week.