Jockey Jason Taylor to continue resurgence in north

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Leanne Applewaite is hopeful veteran jockey Jason Taylor can continue his North Queensland resurgence aboard Tezoff at Mackay on Tuesday.

The Gold Coast-based Taylor partners the seven-year-old for the third time in the Class 6 Plate over 1560 metres.

Tezoff is one of four rides for Taylor on Tuesday along with Dovi’s Day in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Handicap, Metallic Reign in the Maiden Handicap and Ghosted in the Benchmark 55 Handicap.

Taylor has been a regular visitor to the Central and North Queensland provincial circuit since April after spending a lot of time watching mid-week racing on television over the past year.

He had a fall in February last year which sidelined for six months and subsequently suffered from a lack of opportunities after making his riding return.

“Jason’s been on him a few times and joked after riding him the first time that he was an old horse for an old man,” Applewaite said.

Tezoff has been up a long time and has placed in seven of his last 11 starts including his latest effort when he finished second to Starsonic in a 1400 metre Benchmark race at Rockhampton on August 1.

Applewaite was hoping Tezoff would gain a start in the Mackay Cup last month but it was not to be.

“We were hoping he’d get into the Mackay Cup but he was first emergency and never got a run,” she said.

“It was the first time in years that the Mackay Cup never had a scratching.

“He’s only a Class 5 horse but he’s been a good bread and butter horse for us and he always gives everything.

“I’ve had to race him in Open Company a lot but I managed to find a Benchmark race for him last start when he had 60.5kgs and ran second.

“He drops to 57.5kgs to a Class 6 Plate this time and he won’t know himself with this weight in this grade so he should be hard to beat.”

Applewaite is a hobby trainer from Rockhampton and has only three horses in work.

As well as her stable duties, she is a night fill manager for a North Rockhampton Woolworths store.

She paid $7,500 for Tezoff, who has won five times for her, since being moved on from NSW trainer Stephen Hill.

“He’s a one pacer and will run all day,” Applewaite said.