Jake Bayliss is back in Brisbane and ready to put in the hard yards to re-establish himself locally and give his career some traction heading into the Queensland Winter carnival.
Apart from a couple of weeks back visiting family in December 2022, Bayliss has been busy gaining international experience over the last fifteen months, ticking the Singapore dream off the bucket list, riding there for a season before heading back to New Zealand, where he had ridden with notable success before, claiming three Group 1 wins aboard Volpe Veloce (in the Railway Stakes at Ellerslie in January 2018) and, in 2019, aboard On The Rocks (in the Herbie Dyke Stakes) and aboard Nicolette (in the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes).
“To ride in Singapore had always been on my bucket list,” said Bayliss explaining that decision.
“I was very fortunate to win a Group 2 in Singapore … the Singapore Three-Year-Old Classic on Golden Money for Tim Fitzsimmons … and then, to top it off, I won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth on Prosperous Return for Michael Clements. Singapore was a great experience generally and a great learning experience in particular,” said Bayliss.
“After Singapore I was back home for a brief visit and then I left for New Zealand just before Christmas. Luckily enough, I’ve got like a second family over there so that made it very welcoming.
“I obviously went over there with a few goals. I rode twenty winners in the short time I was there.
“Riding four winners in a row on the one day was a highlight. The low point was a real damper at the end of my stint when I got beaten a nose in the Auckland Cup and picked up a suspension and a fine.
“I took the opportunity to go to Sydney and catch up with Regan for a week. I rode trackwork there with Regan for Gai Waterhouse and Peter and Paul Snowden. I also went to Melbourne to catch up with my father for a week where I also rode trackwork at Nar Nar Goon, Pakenham for dad … so they kept me working which was good.
“So, I was able to do things that I wanted to do while I was suspended.
“Now, I’ve been back in Brisbane for nearly two weeks and hopefully I can get things going here. I know it is going to be a slog, but I’m ready for it.”
