Childhood friend helps deliver Taylor’s dream comeback

By Jordan Gerrans

After grabbing her first winner in almost two decades on Saturday, comeback rider Melissa Taylor is just grateful to be able to make her own decisions when it comes to her jockey career.

The 39-year-old has made a determined return bid to the saddle over the last six months.

Taylor completed her apprenticeship in Victoria for the late Robbie Laing and Mick Price before she was medically retired from race riding following a fall which resulted in an ongoing knee injury.

“The decision for me to hang the boots up at that time was a forced decision, it wasn't my decision on my own accord,” Taylor recalls.

“It is something that always stuck in the back of my mind that I'd love to have the opportunity to, if I could ever get back in the saddle, I'd do what I could to work at it and to get back there.

“When it's time to hang the boots up again, I'd love to be able to have that decision on my own accord, rather than enforced.

“The flame was never extinguished. I just had the opportunity to work at my weight and have another go at it while I still had the opportunity.”

Taylor's last winner before her near two-decade absence from race riding came aboard Mount Vernon for the late Laing at Pakenham in March 2007.

In the years since, Taylor has managed to get her knee into a position where she was able to compete in races once again. 

Taylor took her first ride back in late January of this year before scoring an emotional comeback victory on Saturday at Gladstone for trainer Gary Clem, who she counts as a childhood friend.

In her time away from riding, Taylor completed an array of different roles within the industry.

She trained her own team with some success, she continued to ride trackwork for other stables, while also being licensed as a jockey manager and owning a few gallopers herself.

When she did prepare her own stable, she says she took plenty of inspiration from her former boss Laing with the methods she used with her barn.

Her last winner as a trainer was with Spirit Of Giving at Warwick a touch over two years ago.

She prepared a couple of city winners, as well.

Taylor has slowly got her weight down throughout 2026 while riding trackwork for leading Caloundra mentor Stuart Kendrick, while also being employed as an emergency veterinary nurse.

“I work pretty hard. I'm doing shifts at the clinic and I'm riding trackwork and plenty of it,” she said with a laugh.

Taylor is walking around at 53kg at the moment after shedding plenty of kilograms over the last year.

“Back when I was training, I was enjoying living life a bit, eating and drinking,” she said.

“And, my weight got out of control a bit. I've really knuckled down.

“I go to the gym most days between trackwork and work. It has been a battle, but I've got there.

“I am working hard and I'm thoroughly enjoying what I'm doing. So, it's clearly working for me at the moment.”

The breakthrough came at just her sixth ride back when she partnered Moissanite to victory for Bundaberg horseman Clem at Gladstone on Saturday.

Moissanite did not just win the Ratings Band 0 – 55 Handicap over 1517 metres on Saturday, it was a walk in the park for Taylor and the gelding.

The five-year-old posted the third win of his career from 25 starts, cruising home by more than nine lengths.

Comeback rider Taylor was naturally thrilled to score her first winner in the saddle since 2007 after all she has gone through, but to do it for Clem, that made it even sweeter.

“It's pretty surreal, to be honest. The winner on Saturday, it means the world to me,” she said.

“I grew up in Bundaberg. My father was a jockey, my grandparents trained and whatever else, and my Mum was involved.

“Gary was like a brother to me growing up. His mother was like a grandmother to me.

“So, it's a pretty strong family bond from when I was about four years of age, knocking around the races and following Gary's footsteps everywhere I went.

“So, to have a ride for Gary was bittersweet, but to get a win and that win convincing as it was, it was pretty surreal.”

Clem also had Corkscrew finish fifth in the Battle of the Bush decider on Saturday in town.

Interestingly, Taylor prepared the galloper earlier in his career before he was shifted north to Bundaberg with his current mentor.

Taylor’s parents and grandparents were involved in the Bundaberg racing industry, going by the surname Stephens, and have not been around the game in recent times.

The Sunshine Coast-based Taylor is not putting a ceiling on her riding return and is keen to just go with the flow.

“I'm just happy poking around on the weekends and riding for good people,” she said.

“Just the racing on the weekends and country racing, it's always been a passion of mine.

“I had a bit of success in Victoria with the country horses and it's just been a passion.”