Wilson-Taylor is making the move to get more regular Group 1 rides as Queensland quietens down for the spring and because both Sydney and Melbourne are near impossible to break into at the highest level.
But the 26-year-old says there is more to his move than just opportunities to ride at the highest level.
“I have obviously ridden in New Zealand before and really enjoyed it and I like new challenges and learning new things,” Wilson-Taylor said.
“There are some great races over there and some really good horses so I am coming to work hard and have a real crack at it.
“I am committed to being there until at least the end of January and then who knows?”
Wilson-Taylor is engaged to leading Queensland jockey Angela Jones, who herself made a huge impression riding two races at Ellerslie during a fleeting visit on New Year’s Day.
“We came over together a couple of weeks ago to check things out and I met with and spoke with a few trainers, including Lance and Scotty, who obviously I have ridden for before,” Wilson-Taylor said.
“Now I am looking forward to getting into riding some track work and trials over there.
“My first race day will be at Ruakākā on August 1 and Michael Coleman will be managing me.”
Wilson-Taylor will be following a hugely successful path of established overseas jockeys coming to New Zealand and stepping straight into the big time.
South African jockey Warren Kennedy went from being unknown here to a premiership winner inside two seasons, Joe Doyle and George Rooke have tasted huge black-type success while Matt Cartwright’s career has not only taken off since he moved here from Victoria, he is now the regular rider of our most exciting horse, Well Written.
Add in Masa Hashizume, who sits sixth on the premiership, Elen Nicholas, Bruno Queiroz in the Central Districts and Tina Comignaghi in the South Island and the top 10 of the jockey’s premiership has never had such an international flavour.
Wilson-Taylor may already know a few New Zealand trainers and his raw ability will ensure he gets plenty of opportunities but he won’t have to look far, should he need some local advice or intel.
“I am going to be staying with Gryllsy [Craig Grylls] in Matamata, which is a real bonus,” he said.
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.