By Jordan Gerrans
It is not every day the reigning premiership winning rider in the state knocks on your front door looking for a new home.
That was the case recently for the training team of Steven O'Dea and Matthew Hoysted at Eagle Farm as the currently sidelined Baylee Nothdurft was searching for a new stable to relaunch his career.
Before Nothdurft went for a break late last year to attend to his weight and serve a suspension, he had developed a commanding partnership with leading trainer Tony Gollan.
When he returns to race riding, which is expected to be in around a month or so, Nothdurft will do so for the O’Dea and Hoysted combination, who he has been riding work for of late.
“He just approached us and he is obviously needs to be riding work most days in a full-time role, which is going to help with his weight,” co-trainer Hoystead said.
“We were at that stage looking for a rider when he asked if we had a role and he has fitted in perfectly.
“He is a massive asset to the stable to have him coming in and riding them each day.
“It is very nice for us.”
The first apprentice to win the Brisbane jockeys premiership in two decades, Nothdurft, commenced riding work for the new yard only recently but was struck down with tonsillitis this week and has been away from the racetrack.
Speaking earlier this month, Nothdurft declared he would do everything right in his racing return to keep his weight down, exercising every day as well as eating clean and healthy meals.
“The last month I started missing it. It’s good to be at track work again and actually waking up and looking forward to work,” Nothdurft told the Courier Mail earlier this month.
“I feel pretty good. I feel refreshed.
“I wont start until my weight is reasonable. I will get there when I get there.
“I’m going to do it different this time. Try and do it slowly.”