Schiller outshines J-Mac as spring hopefuls jockey for position

Tyler Schiller was more George Moore - the jockey regarded as the pinnacle of saddle excellence over the last half century - than James McDonald at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Regarded by many as one of the best ever, McDonald lost on two hot favourites, Caballus ($1.90) and Garza Blanca ($1.90), who should have won - and was outpointed by Schiller on both.

Circumstances in race riding can play a role, but I’m not an advocator of luck on the turf or the sporting field. Schiller, freshly minted as a senior hoop, was particularly effective on Kintyre in the Inglis Pink and Smashing Eagle (TAB), ironically part owned by John Moore, son of George.

George Moore was a renowned tactician, geared with lightning reflexes, and a keen form student. Sure, folklore decrees he would blow a whistle to other jockeys during a race for clear passage, but he maintained that, astride a good thing, the last place he wanted to be was on the fence inside rivals - the positions McDonald occupied on Caballus and Garza Blanca.

Stewards reported Garza Blanca was “held up and unable to improve rounding the home turn and then remained badly held up upon entering the straight until near the 150 metres”. Meanwhile, Schiller had taken off down the outside on Smashing Eagle.

On Kintyre, Schiller triumphed in a battle of tactics when McDonald, on Caballus, was scrambling for a clear passage in the straight. As the steward’s report stated: “Approaching the 200 metres he became awkwardly placed near the heels on Kintyre when shifting out”.

Yes, J-Mac gave Wineglass Bay ($2.05) every chance in the ACY Securities, before being beaten in the last couple of bounds by Travelling Kate, powered along the rails by Schiller.

Of course, with so many prime mounts, McDonald, like Schiller, still had a winning treble on the Rosebud program. Despite being an attractive prelude to the spring, it was a double bill with a knife show at the racecourse.