Layt searching for first regional Queensland feature winner

By Jordan Gerrans

Townsville jockey Adrian Layt feels he has his best chance yet to grab a feature victory in the saddle since relocating to North Queensland last year.

The respected Layt has picked up the plum ride of City Mission for Rockhampton trainer Jamie McConachy in Friday’s QTIS Northern Jewel.

The daughter of The Mission is a city winner at her last race day appearance – getting the cash at Ipswich in early May – and returns to her home track for the $105,000 feature for three-year-old's.

The 49-year-old Layt has ridden the bay filly twice already this year and is confident she is up to winning the 1400 metre event on Friday.

Before moving north to Townsville, the experienced hoop collected many country Cups across NSW as well as city winners in Sydney.

As he is doing the hard yards in the car between Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns these days, Layt is keen to nab a feature victory ahead of the busy winter carnival period of 2023.

“It would be a big one for me, that is for sure,” he said of the QTIS Northern Jewel.

“I like her, she is in the right race after having her runs well spaced and now to the 1400 metres.

“She will eventually make her way up to the 1800 or 2000 metres sort of range eventually.”

The Layt family made the move to North Queensland mainly for son Liam, who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy.

The father of four - Layt – hoped the warmer climate might be helpful to Liam’s condition when they were in the decision making process around relocating to Townsville.

Almost a year since young Liam arrived in the northern city, the veteran rider says his son is seeing the benefits.

“The weather has been a lot better for him, he is doing really well,” the top jockey said.

“He is really benefiting from the warmer climates up here in North Queensland compared to Sydney.”

The lightweight hoop has settled into riding in Central and North Queensland smoothly.

He has 25 winners to his name so far for the season, bettering his previous two campaigns south of the border.

It will be his best season since he piloted 37 across 2019-20.

With still time to go in the 2022-23 season, Layt has an array of chances of adding to that tally at Mackay on Thursday afternoon, at Rockhampton on Friday and again at Rockhampton on Sunday.

City Mission has drawn perfectly in one for the juvenile feature on Friday.

She was a perennial bridesmaid earlier in her career, placing on eight occasions alongside just one victory, but she showed all her talent in a recent Ipswich victory on a Wednesday.

“That was quite a tough win I thought,” Layt said.

Layt rode City Mission to two of those minor place finishes earlier this year and thinks she is well-placed for Friday’s assignment.

“She hit the line good that day at Rockhampton I rode her, running second, and then we went to Mackay and she stepped out to 1560 metres and she ran the race in patches, she was on and off,” he said.

“I suggested to Jamie that she probably wanted further and they put her in an 1800 metre at the Sunshine Coast and it did not look like she was ready for that.

“When they dropped her back to the mile at Ipswich, she made a good run from the 600 metre mark.

“I think the 1400 metres on Friday following a bit of a freshen up, she should be right in this.”

Layt has built up an association with McConachy through fellow trainer Kristie Clark-Peoples, who he will stay with when he heads to Rockhampton on a regular basis.

As well as City Mission, Layt likes the ride on Gamboa for Lindsay Hatch on Friday as another good winning chance.

The QTIS Northern Jewel was claimed by Michael Lee’s Yes Dream at Townsville’s Cluden Park last year.