Jake Bayliss to ride for Ballymore in New Zealand

Victorian jockey Jake Bayliss is coming to ride in New Zealand.

The 23-year-old, who began race riding in 2012, will be working for training partners Mike Moroney & Pam Gerard (Ballymore Stables), and Lance O’Sullivan & Andrew Scott (Wexford Stables), both at Matamata.

“Mike (Moroney) invited me over for dinner on Tuesday and I met Lance (O’Sullivan) when I arrived,” Bayliss said.

“During dinner they asked if I would be interested in going over to ride for both stables for a few months, possibly until May next year, and I would be back for our winter.

“It didn’t take me long to say yes and I’ll be there to give it a red-hot crack. There are a lot of good races over the summer in New Zealand, and Mike and Lance are going to support me. So, I’m looking forward to riding some nice horses.

“There might be one-hundred horses in training between them, so hopefully I’ll be flat out riding for them and get some outside rides as well.

“I’m going okay here in Melbourne, but the opportunity is a good one and it may open up bigger things in the Moroney camp when I come back.”

Jake is the son of jockey Jamie Bayliss, who made a comeback to race riding 20 years after retiring, and older brother of jockey Regan Bayliss.

He was apprenticed to Mick Kent at Cranbourne, and came out of his time last season. Bayliss has ridden over 100 winners, including 20 metropolitan, and able to ride at 52kgs.

Bayliss rode Mojestic (Uncle Mo) for Moroney on 2 November at Seymour, and she produced a slashing performance for fourth.

“She’s a 2000-metre mare, so first up over 1400m she ran out of her skin,” he said. “She got into gear late and she was full of steam after the line.”

“Jake has ridden a lot of winners for me,” Moroney said. “He’s at a bit of a crossroads in his career, coming out of his (apprentice) time recently, but he’s an accomplished young rider and when he was claiming we used him a lot in the latter part of his apprenticeship.

“Lance and I had a chat and we obviously think he can fit the bill, but we will give him six months there and see what he makes of it.”

Bayliss plans to be on a plane after riding Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington, and all going well will ride the following day, Wednesday 8 November, at Waipa.