Queensland jockeys title a close battle

Brisbane premiership leader Jim Byrne hopes to be back sooner rather than later from a broken leg

A mixed bag of results at Eagle Farm has done nothing to clarify the closest Queensland metropolitan jockeys premiership in decades.

After Saturday’s meeting five jockeys are battling it out to clinch the title.

Jim Byrne leads on 37 wins from Robbie Fradd and Baylee Nothdurft on 34-1/2, with Ryan Maloney on 34 and Stephanie Thornton on 32.

In the 1965/66 premiership, which Skeeter Sanders shared with Len Hill by riding four winners on the last day of the season, only five wins separated the top five riders.

In the 53 years since, the premiership has usually been decisive.

Byrne, who broke a leg in a fall at Doomben on December, made a brief visit to Eagle Farm on Saturday.

He was on crutches but said he would visit a specialist in early February and hoped to be back riding in March.

“Sitting around is driving me crazy. I am a fast healer so hopefully things will improve,” he said.

Bookmakers are not as confident about Byrne making a quick comeback and have wound him out to $10 to win the title.

Current market on the Queensland metro premiership:

$2.50 Maloney, $3.50 Fradd, Nothdurft, $9 Thornton, $10 Byrne, $51 Ron Stewart, and $101 or better all other jockeys.