TYLER SCHILLER HAS A DAY OUT AT ROSEHILL GARDENS

Chuchichaschtli was unfazed by the infield camera as she charged home to win a stakes race at just her second start - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

It’s not uncommon for prominent jockeys to go to the races with a big book of rides without expecting spectacular results. Of his eight mounts at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, Tyler Schiller thought only two had realistic chances, but the young jockey was in for a pleasant surprise. When the curtain came down after ten races Tyler had posted three wins and two placings - a good day’s work. “You just never know in this business,” he said. “It was the best day I’ve had in quite some time. As it turned out my three winners all started favourite, so the punters got it right. I’m glad I was able to get the job done for them.”

One of Tyler’s winners carries a name that has most race fans and commentators scratching their heads. Cuchicashchtli means “kitchen cupboard” in the Swedish language and isn’t half as difficult as it appears on paper, according to Sky and course broadcaster Darren Flindell. The experienced commentator simply uses the art of phonetics to arrive at the name “Kooka-Cashlee”. Some disagree, but most are happy to go along with Darren. “Call her what you like but she’s a promising filly going forward,” said Tyler.

“To go from a Warwick Farm maiden win to a pretty strong race in just two starts takes some doing. Funny thing, I hadn’t been on her back until the Warwick Farm race but Michael Hawkes had been singing her praises to me for several weeks. I rode her work on Tuesday morning of last week and she felt as though the maiden win had brought her on. I was impressed with her manners at Warwick Farm and she was even better at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.”

"Kitchen Cupboard" wins her maiden at Warwick Farm 23/09/2026 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

The daughter of Exceedance bounded from an inside gate like a seasoned veteran and quickly dropped to the fence in third spot behind Plagiarism and Lafite. She immediately came back underneath her jockey and travelled beautifully all the way to the hometurn. On straightening for home Tyler looked likely to probe for a split between Plagiarism and Lafite but changed his plan in an instant when plagiarism ducked out rather suddenly. Showing racecraft well beyond her experience, Cuchicashchtli darted along the fence to put the race to bed in a few strides. Omolong got home well for second with Lafite hanging on for third. “At Warwick Farm she wanted to lay out slightly in the last bit, but on Saturday she went as straight as a gun barrel,” said Schiller. “She’s a fast learner.”

It might be an unusual name but she's all business! - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

It was a pleasant experience to watch the running of the fifth Tapp-Craig from Rosehill’s popular Winning Post Restaurant with my long time friend Ian Craig, and our wives Ann and Marilyn. We were joined by Ian’s son Richard and wife Tracey, along with racing friends Margaret and Terry Elliott. I’m sure Ian and I shared the relief of not having to call the filly with the tongue twister name. It wasn’t lost on us that Tyler Schiller virtually “owns the race” having won three editions of the black type three year old event. He won the inaugural running on Opal Ridge in 2022 and followed up the following year on Macarena. “Kitchen Cupboard” completed his treble on Saturday. Another feature of the day was the thunderous roar emanating from a nearby table, when Satono Glow stormed home to win the Roman Consul Stakes. Some of the filly’s connections viewed the race from a window seat in the Winning Post Restaurant and couldn’t hide their elation when Satono Glow emphatically defeated Steel Will and Why So Hard.

Tyler made it a double for the day on visiting Queensland mare Gerringong who showed a ton of grit to beat Arabian Rose, Nepo Baby and Tuileries in the Gr 3 The Nivison. “The mare raced three wide all the way and came off the bit a fair way from home,” said Tyler. “I thought we were in deep trouble at the top of the straight, but she just kept coming to scramble home. It was a very gutsy win. She’s now with Chris and Corey Munce and raced really well in a couple of strong races over the winter carnival including a third in the Gr 1 Tatt’s Tiara. I believe she’ll now run in The Invitation over the Everest Carnival. I was lucky enough to win the race two years ago on Belclare for Bjorn Baker. I’d love to bag another one.”

Gerringong (blue colours) made it a double for Tyler in the Gr. 3 The Nivison - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Schiller notched his treble for the day on Hawkes trained Fierce in the 1100m Chandon Hcp, last of ten races. Like Gerringong this four year old gelding also raced three deep throughout before turning for home five lengths from leaders Regimental Colours and Kimberley Secrets. The son of Capitalist sustained a long searching run to strike the front close to home before holding on to score clearly from late closing Lulumon. It was indeed a very rewarding day at the office for one of Sydney’s most talented jockeys. Tyler has the luxury of being able to ride comfortably at 52 kgs but made the call to go even lighter in the recent Epsom. “Chris Waller asked me to ride Mr. Miller at 50kgs in the Gr1 and I agreed for two reasons,” he said. “Chris puts rides my way fairly regularly, and the horse was under $10.00 in the market. He ran a very cheeky race to finish fifth under three lengths from the winner. I wouldn’t say it was a snack to make 50kgs, but I felt OK and I’d do it again for the right horse.”

Fierce brings up Tyler's treble in the Chandon Hcp - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Tyler Schiller had ridden 100 country winners before he made the call to put up his hand for a city apprenticeship in December 2020. The word had been out for many months that a very talented country apprentice was itching to get to the big smoke, and it was the ever astute Mark Newnham who swooped on the opportunity. At the time of Tyler’s arrival, Mark was well on the way to notching three consecutive junior premierships with his apprentices - Robbie Dolan had collected two, and Tom Sherry had another “in the bag”. By the end of the 2021/2022 season Tyler Schiller had delivered a fourth consecutive title to the Newnham “academy.”

Tyler with Mark Newnham at a Gosford meeting soon after his arrival from the Riverina - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

The rise of Tyler Schiller was swift and dominant. His first stakes win came on March 18th 2023 on Opal Ridge in the black type Darby Munro Stakes at Rosehill. Just a few races later he produced a brilliant rails hugging ride to win the Gr1 Galaxy on Miramia for the Joe Pride stable. Another two Gr 1’s followed in quick succession. He won the Canterbury Stakes on Lady Laguna but a much bigger prize awaited him less than a month later. Tyler’s ability to make the featherweight of 49kgs drew the attention of veteran Randwick trainer Les Bridge who’d made the decision to run three year old Celestial Legend in the Doncaster. Many observers had expected Bridge to run the Dundeel entire in the Rosehill Guineas following on from his impressive Randwick Guineas win.

Bridge opted for a twenty eight day gap between runs with a soft barrier trial in between. A brilliant tactical decision by the celebrated trainer, and a slashing Tyler Schiller ride saw the steely grey overcome a chequered passage in the straight to swamp Pericles and Militarize in the historic mile. It was a career defining ride from the young bush jockey who showed amazing composure under pressure. Adding to the romance of the win was the fact that it was Tyler’s one and only ride on Celestial Legend who’s just beginning his second season at Victoria’s Woodside Park Stud.

Schiller added to his Gr 1 tally on April 5th 2025 when he rode Briasa to perfection to win the T.J. Smith Stakes, before striking again for the Hawkes stable two weeks later on Nepotism in the Champagne Stakes at Randwick. His impressive tally of five Gr 1’s is complemented by 7 Gr 2’s, 16 Gr 3’s and 18 at listed level - part of a career tally of 610 wins in just seven years of race riding.

Briasa grabs Overpass in the closing stages of the T.J. Smith to give Tyler his fourth Gr. 1 success - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Tyler was devastated in May of 2025 when his progress was impeded by a freak pre-race accident at a Canterbury midweek meeting. He’d barely left the enclosure on Rockabye Roxy when the filly bucked wildly, sending her rider forward over her head. The jockey somersaulted mid air before landing heavily on his lower back sustaining injuries that could have been much worse. Doctors diagnosed a hairline fracture of the T8 vertabra, which triggered severe back and sternum pain. To the amazement of his medical consultants Tyler made a rapid recovery and was back at the races in three months.

He feels privileged to have ridden so many classy horses so early in his career, and to have enjoyed such a wonderful run in stakes races. As a former bush jockey his consecutive Kosciuszko wins on Front Page gave him almost the same kick as his five Gr 1 successes. He won the 2022 edition on the talented sprinter for Geoff Duryea who’d retired by the time the Kosciuszko rolled around again in 2023. Tyler retained the ride and was able to win again for new trainer Matthew Dale.

While on the subject of the classiest horses he’s ridden, Tyler very quickly reminded me of the fact that he was the jockey when the freakish Autumn Glow won her first race at Rosehill just over two years ago. “Imagine trying to get back on her now,” he said. “You’d need the army to get J. Mac off her these days. Tell you what, should he ever be unavailable for some reason I’ll be quick to remind Chris Waller that I have a one hundred percent record on the mare. Doesn’t hurt to dream.”