Jim Byrne’s recent absence from the Brisbane riding ranks hasn’t gone unnoticed. His many followers around Australia have wondered why the popular jockey hasn’t been seen since December 16th when unplaced on Mishani Rebel at Doomben - his only ride for the day. Those who assumed it had to be suspension or injury, are wide of the mark. The fact is Jimmy was becoming increasingly disillusioned by the lack of support to come his way following a return to the saddle in mid October. The multiple premiership winner knew a five month absence for surgical procedures wouldn’t help his cause, but hoped past performances might count for something in helping to springboard him back into the favour of trainers.
“I knew it would take a while to prove that I was back in business, but the few rides I was getting were all starting at lengthy odds,” said the man who’s hovering around a career win tally of 3000. “To be honest it was all getting me down a bit, and I wasn’t in a good head space. I decided to walk away for a while and spend some quality time with my wonderful family over Christmas. We had close to forty people over on Christmas day, and I let my hair down - plenty to eat and a couple of beers. The silly part is I could ride at 53 kgs this week if necessary.”
Jim gets Apache Chase home narrowly from Paulele and Eleven Eleven in the Gr. 1 Kingsford Smith Cup - courtesy Trackside Photography.
Jim sometimes looks back on the relatively injury free run he enjoyed for the first half of his thirty four year career. Admittedly a broken pelvis sustained in a four horse fall in the 2000 P.J. O’Shea Stakes wasn’t pleasant, but the jockey’s most frustrating setbacks have come in more recent times. He still rues the decision he made early in 2019 to hold on to a young horse which had unseated him after a track gallop. At the time he thought it was little more than a wrench. Jim continued to ride in races for two weeks before a bizarre incident at Eagle Farm revealed the true extent of the injury. “I went just a few strides on a two year old called Garibaldi when I knew something was horribly wrong,” said Jim. “Garibaldi actually won the race, but I had absolutely no strength in the right shoulder and arm. I couldn’t pull the horse up and had to call to the Clerk Of The Course for assistance. I was devastated when tests confirmed I’d actually torn the bicep muscle away from the scapula. The bicep tendon was badly ruptured. Major surgery followed and I was condemned to four and a half months on the sidelines. Anybody will tell you I’m the world’s worst patient. The boredom does my head in, and I’m not the most pleasant bloke to be around.”
An early one of Jim after a win on Desert War for Gai Waterhouse in the Gr. 2 Hill Stakes 2005 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
To say Jim returned better than ever is an understatement. Less than five months into the 2019/2020 season he was riding winners at a furious rate when involved in the most bizarre of accidents. He’d just finished second of four runners on Kavak in a pre Xmas Doomben two year old event. The winner Rathlin shied just a few strides past the post dislodging jockey Luke Currie. Kavak shied simultaneously unseating Jim, while Larry Cassidy suffered a similar fate, Currie and Cassidy were cleared of injury but Jim in landing awkwardly sustained a fracture of the tibia just below the right knee. Extensive surgery included the insertion of a plate in the knee, and jockey Jim unhappily began another lengthy period away from the job he loves.
He was within weeks of resuming trackwork when another setback came from left field. Broken skin on an elbow caused by the constant use of crutches had erupted into a full blown golden staph infection. Again the jockey was admitted to hospital where the bursa was drained of fluid, and an intensive course of antibiotics got under way. Jim returned to race riding with renewed enthusiasm, but lady luck wasn’t finished with him yet. He’d been back little more than a week when his troublesome knee suddenly “blew up”. Doctors quickly discovered one of the screws holding the plate in place was out of alignment. The problem was quickly rectified and one of Queensland’s best jockeys got back to work, hopeful of a trouble free run for a while.
He got his wish. Jim’s form over the next couple of years was perhaps the best of his long career. Regular gym work had brought his fitness levels to a new high, and his win rate was remarkably consistent. He also landed on two of the nicest horses he’d ridden in several years. He won five races on the massively talented Rothfire, including the Gr 1 J.J. Atkins, the Gr 2 Champagne Classic and the Gr 2 Run To The Rose.
Among Jim’s most unpleasant memories is Rothfire’s breakdown in the Golden Rose won by Ole Kirk. He was in front at the 200m where he “wobbled” noticeably, almost certainly the moment he sustained a catastrophic sesamoid injury. Rothfire didn’t return for a full year but has managed to win another two stakes races ridden by Damian Lane and Nash Rawiller respectively, with a second to Think About It in the Stradbroke also on his CV. The remarkable six year old was gallant in winning Monday’s King Of The Mountain from a horror gate at Toowoomba.
Jim and Rothfire dominated the Run To The Rose 12/09/2020 defeating Ole Kirk and North Pacific - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Jim was delighted to be Apache Chase’s regular rider in the latter part of the sprinter’s distinguished career. He was on board for six of the gelding’s nine wins including the listed Daybreak Lover, the Gr 3 Fred Best Classic, the listed Weetwood Hcp and the Gr 1 Kingsford Smith Cup. The veteran jockey was especially pleased to win at the elite level for his loyal supporter Desleigh Forster. In acknowledgement of Desleigh’s support, Jim subjected himself to stringent biosecurity measures to ride the son of Better Than Ready in the 2021 Golden Eagle at Rosehill - and what a sight he gave them. Apache Chase was still in front at the 200m before weakening slightly to finish fourth only 1.8 lengths behind I’m Thunderstruck with Count De Rupee 2nd and Vangelic 3rd.
Jim about to weigh in after winning the Ascot Vale on Gold Edition. Four days later they combined again to win The Schweppervescence by 7 lengths - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
To this day Jim Byrne attributes his stellar riding career to the Brisbane school teacher who suggested more than once that his reluctant pupil should give some thought to a career as a jockey. The same teacher arranged a work experience stint with respected trainer Pat Duff. From the moment young Byrne placed a halter on the head of a thoroughbred, his future was set in stone. He looked like a jockey, he walked and talked like a jockey and possessed the most natural seat on a racehorse. To say the rest is history is to use a rather tired cliche. By the same token it’s hard to find a better one with which to describe the career of a rider who has upheld the lofty reputation enjoyed by Queensland jockeys since the days of Moore, Sellwood, Briscoe and McGrowdie.
Jim’s first Gr 1 success came in the race every Queensland jockey wants to win. He’d been narrowly beaten on NSW sprinter Adam in the Doomben $10,000 and got a second bite of the cherry when he lodged an unsuccessful protest against winner Laurie’s Lottery. He retained the ride when third in the BTC Cup and was thrilled to stay on the gelding in the historic Stradbroke Hcp. This time the cards fell his way, and Adam was able to win the famous sprint for “one horse” Newcastle trainer Ray Brock.
Jim had developed a tremendous liking for the son of Rubiton and maintained the association for another ten starts. Their only other win together was in the Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill, but they placed in two more Gr 1’s and three times at Gr 2 level. Jim cherishes memories of his partnership with Adam.
Jim wins the Gr. 2 Theo Marks Quality on his old favourite Adam at Rosehill 11/09/1999 defeating legendary mare Sunline - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The popular jockey values his bragging rights to the fact that his one ride on celebrated sprinter Redzel resulted in a stunning Doomben $10,000 win in 2017. “It felt like a consolation for an unlucky second in the race on Adam many years before, but it was also a thrill to win a decent race for the Snowdens,’ said Jim. “I don’t mind admitting I threw my hat in the ring when he contested the first Everest, but fully understood that Kerrin McEvoy had been doing all of the work in Sydney. Peter and Paul Snowden gave me a present of sorts when they put me on Calanda in the Ramornie Hcp just a couple of months after my win on Redzel. It was a thrill to win that famous sprint for Team Snowden.”
Jim had only one ride on Redzel for a win in the 2017 Doomben Ten Thousand for Team Snowden defeating Counterattack and Derryn - courtesy Trackside Photography.
The J.J. Atkins has been a good race for Byrne with wins on Capital Gain and the aforementioned Rothfire, while the Peter Moody trained Riva San gave him an unexpected Queensland Derby win in 2008. His lone interstate Gr 1 win was memorable. Jim had the good fortune to ride the tough but brilliant Queenslander Gold Edition on four occasions. Trainer Ron Maund took him to Melbourne to pilot the brilliant grey filly in the Gr 1 Ascot Vale Stakes of 2006 (now the Coolmore Stud Stakes). Her four length victory was nothing compared to the demolition job she did on the opposition in the listed Schweppervescence on the same track five days later. Her winning margin was an astonishing seven lengths.
Jim was back on board for a comfortable win in a Doomben Quality a few weeks later and was thrilled to be riding her again in the Vo Rogue Plate over the Brisbane Xmas carnival. “She went under by half a length to Sequential Charm from the Moody yard with Jason Holder riding,” recalled Jim. “I wasn’t happy with my ride and neither was Ron Maund. Sadly, I never got to ride her again. What a wonderful mare she was.”
One of Jim's biggest thrills was a dominant win on Gold Edition in the Gr. 1 Ascot Vale Stakes at Flemington 2006 - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
By his own admission Jim has never had the opportunity to ride an elite stayer but has been privileged to ride some of the nation’s most brilliant sprinters. He’d probably plump for General Nediym as his all time favourite. Surprisingly he was asked to ride the General after the gelding was transferred to Sydney trainer Clarry Conners. Jim knew some mileage would be involved but he was happy to travel for such a talented horse. He had mixed feelings when General Nediym was unplaced in two Melbourne runs, but lightened up considerably when the gelding strolled home in the Magic Millions Cup on the Gold Coast. Following a freshen General Nediym finished second in both the Apollo Stakes and Expressway Stakes before being retired. “He felt like a powerhouse underneath you,” recalled Jim. “He may have been below his best when I rode him, but he was still fast and very strong. A top horse.”
Back to scale on Redzel after the Doomben Ten Thousand 2017 - courtesy Trackside Photography.
Fittingly Jim Byrne has collected four Brisbane jockey’s premierships and has all but lost count of his second place finishes - three times to Jeff Lloyd, twice to Glen Colless, and once to Stathi Katsidis, Scott Seamer and Ryan Maloney. “Maybe it could have been one or two more with less suspensions and injuries but what the heck,” says Jim. “I’m pretty happy to have four premiership wins alongside my name. I can’t remember a season when the Brisbane opposition wasn’t tough.”
Jim was bitterly disappointed to be an absentee from the 2023 Brisbane Winter Carnival, but simply had no choice. Wear and tear had finally caught up. Meniscal damage in both knees had left him with little cartilage and intolerable pain. He’d also been alerted to the fact that long term use of anti inflammatories had wreaked havoc with his gall bladder. Pain killers were no longer doing their job. Jim was a “train wreck” and he knew it. With a heavy heart he decided to bypass his much loved Brisbane carnival and get his body back into shape.
He was in good shape the day he won the Run To The Rose on Rothfire - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
“It really was a big clean up operation,” said the jockey matter-of-factly. “Doctors finally removed the old knee plate before getting to work on the cartilage debris in both knees. They also made the call to get rid of my troublesome gall bladder. I came out of that hospital a new man, and pain free for the first time in a long time. I made up my mind to take it slowly and get myself super fit before I even thought about a comeback. I was jumping out of my skin when I returned to the races last October. Unfortunately, most of my rides were not in the same frame of mind. Hence the call to take a break and enjoy Xmas with my family.”
That family is lovingly guided by Rhamie, Jim’s wife of twenty nine years. The couple are the proud parents of Corey (27), Georgia (25), Madison (24) and Lachlan (22). Georgia is the only one to marry so far and is currently busy with her teaching career. “We’ll have to wait a while to enjoy the joys of grandchildren, but I’ll look forward to that down the track,” said the future grandpa.
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Byrne arriving at a Queensland Racing Awards function.
Not all jockeys plan for their post racing life, but Jim is a notable exception. He knows you can only paint the house or fix a leaking tap so many times. A few years ago he set up a small saddlery shop in the basement of the Byrne’s charming “Queenslander” at Wooloowin. He purchased his first heavy duty sewing machine and sought lessons in how to operate it correctly. He now has eight machines offering a wide range of services.
Jim has already established a sizeable clientele of jockeys and trainers regularly requiring the repair of girths, surcingles, saddles and miscellaneous equine gear. He’s also working on the import of top quality saddles and accessories for future sale to Queensland horsemen and women. Rhamie is equally gifted as a seamstress and will be a highly valued member of the team as business grows. For now she’s the tolerant, patient and understanding wife of one of Australia’s most successful jockeys.
As the sun sets on one of the most frustrating years of Jim Byrne’s career the respected jockey is planning his strategy for one more “throw of the dice”. He’s ready to put in the hard yards as he was doing thirty years ago. His weight couldn’t be better and he believes his fitness levels are at an all time high. He’s had his fill of Xmas cake for the time being, and is ready to face the challenge of being a 52 year old jockey in a racing precinct bursting with up and coming young riders. You can’t help but wonder how many of those talented youngsters will still be performing at the same age.
Jim and Rhamie - together 29 years in which they've produced a family of four.
(Banner image - An effortless win for Jim Byrne and Gold Edition in the Gr. 1 Ascot Vale Stakes - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.)