Tyler Schiller may have only one winner to his name in 2026, but the young jockey feels far better placed than he was this time last year.
The Sydney rider spent three months sidelined in 2025 after a race-day fall left him with a vertebrae injury.
He admits it took time to regain confidence and rhythm after returning to the saddle.
This time around, Schiller heads into the heart of the carnival buoyed by a productive Gold Coast stint.
From six rides, he recorded three placings and two fourths, all at double-figure odds.
“Not many of them were in the market so I was quite happy with the performances I got,” Schiller said.
“Everything ran really well, and I couldn’t be disappointed in my carnival up there, considering everything was close to 30-1 plus.
“Hopefully it gives me a bit of momentum and confidence to be riding a bit better compared to when I first came back from my broken back. I was a bit below par from where I was before I broke my back, so it’s nice to be getting a feel for it all again.”
Schiller has secured rides in eight races at Randwick on Saturday, including Justadeel in the Listed Carrington Stakes (1400m).
“He gets in with a light weight again on the weekend and an OK barrier to slot in behind them,” Schiller said.
“He is definitely good enough to run a big race on the weekend.”
He will also partner Oh Yes She Did in the Kia Ora Bloodlines To Headlines Handicap.
“She looked like she needed strengthening a bit, but she had a good grounding and she was doing everything right,” he said.