THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN: MALONEY LOOKS READY TO TAKE UP LLOYD'S MIGHTY MANTLE

By Graham Potter | Sunday, August 4, 2019

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily.

A new name has been added to the list of Sunshine Coast Jockey Premiership winners with Ryan Maloney taking out that honour for the 2018/19 racing season.

Maloney only relocated to Queensland early in July 2018 (from Victoria). When he made that move it was expected that he would by and large fill the riding gap left at the Toby Edmonds stable by Jeff Lloyd, who had spoken about retirement at that time.

The lure of another season proved too strong for Lloyd however and the champion’s retirement was ultimately put on hold until he finally bowed out on July 13 this year.

Maloney, though, didn’t miss a beat. He faced his new challenge head-on. Edmonds, amongst others, was giving Maloney opportunities and he wasted little time in riding winners and building a positive profile.

On December 19, 2018, Maloney’s rise on the local scene suffered a severe setback when he came away from a fall at Doomben with a collapsed lung and four broken ribs. He was expected to be out of action for six weeks. He was back in four.

He tackled his injuries with the same gusto with which he had chased winners on his arrival in Queensland.

Taking a leaf out of the footballer’s recovery handbook … which bring into play the likes of hyperbaric chambers, saunas and spa sessions and magnesium and ice pools … Maloney worked hard on his rehabilitation and, as a consequence, he was able to take things up from where he had left off far sooner than anticipated.

And so, his success story for the season continued.
In the Sunshine Coast Jockeys Premiership, Maloney finished well clear of Matthew McGillivray, another rider who has had a breakout season. Maloney’s name also featured prominently in the Brisbane Jockeys Premiership in which he finished joint-third (with Robbie Fradd) behind the winner Jeff Lloyd and the second placed Brad Stewart.

The way he is going it would be no surprise if, in twelve months’ time, Maloney adds a second Sunshine Coast title to his name and tops it off with a Brisbane Metropolitan title.

Afterall, someone has to take over the mighty Jeff Lloyd’s mantle and Maloney’s credentials are a good as anybody else.

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Stuart Kendrick, Sunshine Coast’s multiple Premiership winning trainer will now also be crowned winner of the Trainer’s Provincial Premiership for the 2018/19 season following Queensland Racing’s ruling, under specific criteria, that disqualified persons are not eligible to claim an award … a decision which removes Ben Currie, the former runaway leader in this category, from Premiership contention.

Kendrick now gets home by one win (53 to 52) from Tony Gollan.

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