Talented apprentices are fierce rivals on the track, but great mares off it

Tyler Schiller, Zac Lloyd, Dylan Gibbons and Reece Jones are Sydney's star apprentice jockeys. They are fierce rivals on the track but they are good friends off it. Schillers is Sydney apprentice champion and second on jockey premiership. Lloyd is second with 21 wins, Gibbon on 18 wins and Jones has 8. TAB Fixed Odds has framed a market on Sydney Apprentice Premiership with Schilke favourite at 1.90, Lloyd at $2.10, and Gibbs at$8.

Schiller is hoping to extend his apprenticeship to retain the apprentice premiership. Schiller, Lloyd, Gibbons and Reece Jones are the main contenders. Gibbon was the state's leading apprentice last season with 116 wins and also claimed the provincial jockey title with 49 wins. He has seven rides at the Canterbury night meeting before a full book of 10 mounts at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Festival Dancer won the Group 3 Spring Stakes at his home track of Newcastle last year. The trainer Kris Lees and the apprentices' father, top jockeying Andrew Gibbs, delayed Dylan's arrival in Sydney until the winter months earlier this year to ease his transition.

Zac Lloyd has made a quick impact on Sydney racing since arriving in September. He has seven rides at Canterbury on Friday night and eight at Randwick on Saturday. Reece Jones will ride Secret Glamour at the Randwick meeting on Sunday. He finished second to Secret glamours at Rosehill last start. Jones is keen to win the Sydney apprentice premiership. His best mates Schiller, Lloyd and Gibbons are his rivals. They are also his riding partners. The winner of the premiership will be decided on the final day of racing. It will take place on December 25th.