Wily Byrne has the wood on his rivals
JIM Byrne only needs to gaze at the chunks of firewood lying around his Brisbane home to realise how many riding premierships he has won in a long career.
The experienced jockey has well and truly sealed his fourth Brisbane premiership – 17 seasons after he won his first title in 1997-98.
With three metropolitan meetings to go until the end of the season, Byrne (69 wins) holds an unassailable lead over last year’s champion jockey Tim Bell (54 wins).
But Byrne insists another riding premiership is no big deal.
And he certainly isn’t worried about Queensland racing’s annual awards night, at which he would have been recognised, being postponed and possibly cancelled as a costcutting measure.
“I have won a few Brisbane premierships over the years but I also know for a fact I’ve won a stack of Ipswich riding premierships,” Byrne laughed. “I know that because I’ve got a lot of wood lying around everywhere at home.
“Every time I won an Ipswich premiership they would present me with a big block of wood. It’s the sort of wood you would burn in a fireplace.
“It’s fair to say I’m not worried about getting any trophies or any extra recognition, I’m just happy with the season I have had.”
It might have been a golden riding season for Byrne but he has taken it all in his stride. There have been some lean times in previous seasons but Byrne credits a change of manager for his rejuvenation.
And Byrne insists the tag as Brisbane’s leading rider simply means he is doing his job.
“Everyone else seems to pay a lot of attention to these riding premierships but as far as I am concerned, it is my job, it is what I do for a living,’’ he said.
“If I am doing my job well and having a bit of luck through the season I will always end up pretty high on the premiership.
“I don’t think winning the premiership really helps with getting more good rides. The trainers and owners know what I can do and they are either going to put me on their horses or not.”
Byrne, who has a full book of eight rides at the Sunshine Coast meeting today, is aiming to finish the season on a high by surging further ahead in the jockey title. He is planning a short holiday next month with his wife Rhamie and four children.
“It is hard to have a family holiday but I’m looking forward to a break next month and spending some quality time with them,” he said.
Byrne has seen countless riders come and go but reckons the most competitive and toughest rival he ever rode against was Mick Pelling.
Pelling, who retired in 2006, had an exceptional career spanning more than 30 years and won multiple premierships in the 1990s when Byrne was starting to make his name on the riding scene.