Maintaining consistency has been a primary objective for jockey Dylan Gibbons throughout this season, and this approach will remain his guiding principle moving forward.
The ultimate ambition for any jockey is to secure Group 1 victories, and if he manages to claim the final major race of the 2025-26 racing term aboard Infancy in the Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m), it would serve as a perfect culmination to a successful year.
A highly regarded apprentice, Gibbons was once considered part of the emerging cohort of young riders, including talents like Zac Lloyd and Tyler Schiller. However, a shoulder injury sustained in late 2024 disrupted his progress.
Upon his return to the saddle last year, he dedicated himself to re-establishing his presence in the highly competitive Sydney racing scene. While this endeavor required considerable time and persistence, the positive outcomes soon began to manifest.
With 38 metropolitan wins in Sydney this term, Gibbons currently holds the eighth position on the jockeys’ premiership ladder. His notable achievements include Group 3 triumphs on Southend in The Baillieu and Piggyback in the Parramatta Cup.
“If you go back a season, things dropped off a bit compared to how they were going when I had the claim, so I had to rebuild, so to speak,” Gibbons remarked.
“I wanted to re-establish myself, be a consistent city rider, and keep chipping away at the winners.
“I’ve had a good provincial season, and those horses can eventually turn into city winners. Fortunately enough, I’m also getting near the forty (metropolitan winners) mark which has been good.”
Gibbons has experienced Group 1 glory on two occasions, partnering Explosive Jack to victory in the 2023 Sydney Cup (3200m) and Kalapour in the 2024 Tancred Stakes (2400m).
He is optimistic about adding to his Group 1 tally when he teams up with Infancy for the Tattersall’s Tiara, suggesting the $51 outsider possesses the potential to cause an upset.
Infancy delivered a strong performance with a second-place finish in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m) in April. She subsequently raced midfield in the Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) at Scone and again in the Bob Charley Stakes (1200m), which was dominated by the front-running Wanaruah.
Although the backmarker will require some fortune from a challenging draw and a brisk pace, Gibbons anticipates she will be competitive if these conditions are met.
“She has over-achieved her whole career and done a remarkable job,” he stated.
“The 1400 metres is getting near her maximum distance, but when she was in that brutally run 1300 (Luskin Star Stakes) with Whinchat and Phearson leading, they ran it like a mile race and she was there to the fifty metres and got chopped out.
“If she can get the right run, she has got a wicked turn of foot.”
Gibbons will also ride the resilient sprinter Brudenell, trained by Lees, in the W J Healy Stakes (1200m). He would be delighted to see the dual Listed winner achieve a long-awaited Group success.
“He is one of my favourite horses. I’ve won four or five races on him now,” Gibbons commented.
“He is honest as the day is long, and he’s only gotten better with age. If things go his way, you know he’s going to give one hundred and ten per cent, and it would be nice to see him get a Group win.”
Gibbons has a strong lineup of eight mounts at Eagle Farm. Bookmakers have identified Geemes ($5.50) as his most promising contender for victory in the Listed Tattersall’s Gold Crown (2100m).
Betting markets for the Tattersall’s Tiara are already taking shape, with Infancy a $51 outsider but capable of surprising if the race unfolds favourably. You can find the latest racing odds at Australian betting sites.
