In modern day racing, top sprinter Briasa and jockey Tyler Schiller are almost an anomaly.
Schedule clashes with interstate carnivals, suspension, and the wily nature of the sport mean riders often chop and change, but on Saturday at Randwick, Schiller will partner the grey speedster for the 13th time in 16 starts – and the 11th in succession.
The last jockey to ride Briasa other than Schiller was Zac Lloyd in October 2024, so it’s no surprise the hoop has a soft spot for the Hawkes Racing gelding.
“Definitely. He’s pretty cruisy,” Schiller said.
“He mopes around the stable like a stayer, but he’s one of the fastest horses I’ve sat on.
“Being with the Hawkes camp has helped me get closer to him. I don’t do any of his trackwork, so it’s probably strange I do have a good association with him because the only time I sit on him is race day and trials, but he’s going terrific.”
The pair has combined for six wins, including in last year’s T J Smith Stakes (1200m) when the gelding was coming off a fast-finishing fourth in The Galaxy (1100m).
He filled the same position in this year’s renewal of the Rosehill sprint carrying four kilos more, and Schiller has no doubt Briasa is going at least as well as he was 12 months ago.
“Weight differential in the Galaxy this year to last year had a big bearing,” he said.
“If he’d had the same weight as last year, he probably sits three-wide with cover and wins, but having the extra kilos was the big difference.
“He’s definitely going as well. Maybe better.
“There were no A graders there (in the Galaxy), so he will need to lift again second-up, which he usually does. His form shows his second-up run is usually his best, so fingers crossed.”
A small but select field of nine will contest the T J Smith Stakes (1200m), headed by exciting three-year-old Tentyris, 2022 Everest victor Giga Kick and high-class mare Joliestar.
Briasa will join an elite group if he can go back-to-back with Nature Strip (2020-22), Chautauqua (2015-17) and Black Caviar (2011 and 2013) the only horses to have claimed the feature more than once in the past 20 years.
