Kayla Johnston creates her own path in racing

By Jordan Gerrans

A rider finishing up in the jockeys' room and transitioning into the training ranks is fairly commonplace over the years in the racing industry.

But, participants going the other way – from trainer to jockey – well, that is nowhere near as frequent.

Queensland’s Kayla Johnston has flirted with that unique path in recent years.

After finishing high school on the Sunshine Coast, Johnston was in talks with her father John about going into a training partnership.

John has been a long-time conditioner in the Sunshine State with his daughter growing up riding work for his barn before heading off to school later in the morning.

With her mind fixating on training a team of gallopers, Kayla’s route in racing shifted dramatically when she went from riding work to then competing in jump-outs like a proper jockey would.

That was the moment when the 20-year-old’s mind changed.

Kayla will have her maiden race rides as an apprentice jockey this Thursday afternoon at Kilcoy.

“We discussed it about going into a partnership but we do not have a big team of horses,” Kayla said.

“That is what I thought I would be doing once I got older.

“I did not want to do anything else but something with racehorses – it made sense.

“And then, I started riding in jump-outs and I caught the bug for it. I quickly realised race riding was a bit more fun.”

She heads to Kilcoy Race Club on Thursday with three engagements on her first day at the races.

The young hoop will partner Zephalong and Belistic Man for veteran Sunshine Coast trainer Trevor Miller and Jafuboy for Taylah Mackinnon, who recently ended a training partnership with her father and is now training solo.

Kayla’s father John has trained a team of gallopers in Queensland for a touch over 25 years.

Over the years, the jockey that John has had the greatest success with is the now-retired champion hoop Damian Browne.

Kiwi Browne rode a dozen winners for the stable at a strike-rate of more than 26 per cent.

Since retiring from race riding, the former star hoop has started his own jockey mentoring business at Caloundra.

Even before Browne began his mentoring and training program for young hoops, he guided the early stages of Kayla’s career.

“Dad and Damian are really good friends and I have known him for as long as I can remember,” Kayla said.

“We are really close with him and he has been so helpful.

“He was helping me before he started his mentoring program, giving me a few tips with everything. He is a massive help.”

The multiple Group 1-winner has backed the keen youngster to make her mark on the riding ranks in the Sunshine State.

“Growing up, Kayla always had a natural way with horses and a keen attitude to learn and be involved in the family racing stables,” Browne said.

“Kayla’s work ethic and determination have already awarded her many triumphs in the saddle off the track in the showjumping ring.

“Kayla’s natural seat and kind hands has seen her represent Queensland in showjumping and compete in the Australian Showjumping Championships.

“There will be many winners in the future for this young apprentice.”

Like many apprentices on the Sunshine Coast, Kayla takes part in the sessions Browne runs and says he has worked specifically with her around her tactics in races as well as whip techniques on the mechanical horse.

Just as Browne has been, Kayla’s father John has also been a key mentor over the years.

“That is how I picked it all up, riding trackwork in the morning before going to school,” she said.

“Being in racing, he got me my first pony and taught me to ride.

“Then being in the stables, that is where I started before going into race riding.”

The Johnston stable have around a dozen in work at the Sunshine Coast after previously being based at Beaudesert and Deagon.

As Kayla rides work for Miller and Mackinnon on a regular basis, she knows her three mounts well for Thursday.

She is hopeful of leading on Jafuboy in the 0 - 55 Handicap over 1200 metres.

“I hope he can jump well and hopefully find the front because he is jump and race horse – that is how he won the race he did win,” Kayla said.

“That is the plan.”