KWT eyes Ramornie farewell for old boss

By Jordan Gerrans

With a short-term move across the ditch set to commence, top Queensland rider Kyle Wilson-Taylor is optimistic he can snare a meaningful victory on the way out on Wednesday afternoon.

The jockey known as ‘KWT’ is in the process of taking his riding talents to New Zealand and will begin his new adventure at the start of next month.

The Group 1-winning hoop will base himself in NZ for the spring and summer months with an eye toward competing in the local carnival events.

Before he heads off, the 26-year-old is eager to deliver his first boss a significant black-type triumph on Wednesday at Grafton in the Ramornie Handicap.

Wilson-Taylor has been booked to ride the Brett Dodson-prepared My Mum’s Toyboy in the $200,000 event.

Dodson was the jockey’s first boss at Coffs Harbour when he began his riding career, which helped him pave the way to contest Group 1 events and now try his luck in NZ.

My Mum’s Toyboy has been a prolific winner of late and Wilson-Taylor admits it would be a heartfelt victory to hand a Listed Ramornie to his old master.

“He is a really close mate of mine, being my old boss,” Wilson-Taylor said.

“It would be great to win a big race down there in that area for him, which is the area I started out riding at.

“I won the Grafton Cup Prelude for him a few years ago with a horse named Full Press, but this would be special.”

In the 1200 metre sprint, My Mum’s Toyboy has drawn wide, which Wilson-Taylor says could be an advantage.

The five-year-old gelding has been a winning machine in recent times, scoring in his last five trips to the races. 

The son of Kobayashi last scored in the John Carlton at Grafton earlier this month when carrying a big weight with Justin P Stanley in the saddle. 

My Mum’s Toyboy boasts an imposing record of 10 wins from just 18 attempts and Wilson-Taylor believes the sprinter could have an even better strike-rate.

The champion Brisbane apprentice from the 2021-22 campaign rode My Mum’s Toyboy at Grafton in July of 2024 and finished fourth in a lowly sprint race.

He won three of his next four following that effort.

“He is a good horse and he's got a good record,” Wilson-Taylor said.

“I've ridden him before and I didn't ride him very well at the time. He probably should have won that day.

“He's continued to strengthen and get better. He's got a good record now.

“He has 10 wins from 18 starts and his record should probably be a bit better than that.”

Dodson and his former apprentice will need to contend with a wide draw on Wednesday. 

As of Tuesday afternoon, My Mum’s Toyboy is a $10 chance with the bookmakers with Tony Gollan’s Pereille the $5 favourite.

“He's obviously drawn a poor barrier in barrier 18, but he's a big free rolling type of horse,” Wilson-Taylor said.

“He's dropping seven kilograms in the weights from his last win. He's probably better off being drawn wide than drawn too low.”

On top of the mount in the Ramornie, Wilson-Taylor also has three more rides across the Grafton program on Wednesday.

He returns to the track on Thursday to partner with the Chris Waller-prepared Etna Rosso in the Grafton Cup, which the jockey believes is another strong chance for feature glory. 

Looking ahead, Wilson-Taylor says he is keen to further his international riding experience when he heads to New Zealand for the remainder of the year. 

He tasted Group 2 fortunes in the country back in March of 2024, while he also had a hit-and-run mission to Singapore before the racing jurisdiction closed down.

The ambitious rider can see plenty of positive prospects across the ditch in NZ. 

"I will be there for the spring and summer carnivals, that is the plan,” he said.

"I want to go and ride in some good races and they have a lot of good racing coming up, I feel there is a great opportunity for me there.

"I've been going well the last few weeks in Queensland, although winter carnival time is hard for any Queensland jockey given the riders that come up from here down south.

"I am young and I like to travel and ride in different places, anywhere you go and ride you will always come back better.

"I watch the carnivals over there and I think I could go well.”