If a jockey wins a Group 1, he, or she, deserved to win a Group 1.
No questions asked … being good enough to be given the opportunity in the first place and being accomplished enough to get the job done in the heat of battle at the elite level are attributes which speak for themselves, and the reward is certainly well-earned.
Having said that, it is also fair to say that nobody deserves their Group 1 win more than Kyle Wilson-Taylor who climbed that summit for the first time on Saturday when he partnered the Chris Munce trained mare Palaisipan to a landmark victory in the Tatts Tiara at Eagle Farm.
Wilson-Taylor has always been very open about the difficult times in his past … times that could so easily have had a lasting negative impact on both his personal life and professional aspirations but, instead, Wilson-Taylor had the strength to turn the misfortune of those times into a stubborn, unwavering commitment … fully focussed on achievement while following a road along which faltering was not an option.
But that was easier said than done … which makes Wilson-Taylor’s Group 1 achievement so commendable.
“It was quite surreal,” said Wilson-Taylor, speaking the day after his Group 1 win. “It was obviously a lifelong goal and dream … and to tick it off was quite amazing.
“The last fifty metres when I knew I was going to win was like an out of body experience. I just let out this almighty scream. I couldn’t really believe it … and when all my mates … the other jockeys … came to congratulate me when I was pulling up … it was just fantastic, especially doing it in Queensland.
“So many people have helped me … from those who taught me how to ride through all of the bosses I have had … they have all been great. There are just so many people that have helped me along the way and helped mould me into the person and the rider I am today.”
That help was a critical factor in Wilson-Taylor’s progression in its own right, but its value came in direct proportion to Wilson-Taylor’s willingness to take on board and learn from the advice that was being given … with his mindset arguably being the most important factor of all.
“I just wanted to be the best jockey I could be. I want to be one of the best and I know, to do that, you have got to listen, and you have got to work hard. Those are two essential ingredients you need to be successful.
“I think I have been doing them well and probably could still be doing them better, but I think my Group 1 win was a fair representation of all the hard work that has gone into it.”
Away from the track, achieving a settled and happy personal life has been another triumph for Wilson-Taylor whose partner, apprentice jockey Angela Jones, is thriving in her own right being about to be anointed as the winner of the Brisbane Apprentice Jockey’s Premiership … a title Wilson-Taylor won last season.
“My partner Ange … she is amazing,” said Wilson-Taylor. “She means everything to me.
“She has kept me on the straight and narrow. She kicks me in the bum when I need it, and she lifts me up when I need it also. It wouldn’t be possible without her.
“I am just so lucky to have the people I have around me that I do have … and, I’ve got to mention my manager Glenn Courtney here.
“He’s fantastic. He has been with me from the start. It’s been a team effort and I’m just very proud it has all come off.”
