Gold Coast jockeys are trialling a new recovery centre at their home track

EXPERIENCED hoop Jason Taylor says a new recovery centre at the Gold Coast Turf Club could prolong the careers of jockeys.

Leading jockey Jason Taylor tries out the ice bath in the recovery centre at Gold coast Turf Club. Picture: Glenn Hampson

EXPERIENCED hoop Jason Taylor says a new recovery centre at the Gold Coast Turf Club could prolong the careers of jockeys.

Taylor was one of the first to try out the new recovery tools on offer at Aquis Park last weekend as the club launched a six-week trial in conjunction with Racing Queensland.

The Gold Coast Turf Club has renovated the current jockeys rooms and devoted a separate room to housing the recovery equipment.

Jockeys now have access to ice baths and vests, a masseuse and compression therapy that can be used at race meetings and Gold Coast Turf Club CEO Steve Lines said he was eager to make it a permanent feature at the track following the trial.

“I’m keen to embed it in to our business for the long term,” Lines said.

“If Racing Queensland are keen to pursue it we will make it permanent together.”

Taylor, 45, has been a jockey for 25 years and said the positive affects from regular treatment could help hoops stay in the game longer.

“It’s a great thing if they are going to do it permanently,” Taylor said.

“It’s essential to recovery, it’s absolutely brilliant. I have got a lot of old injuries and had a number of falls throughout my career and a lot of breaks. There are a few niggling injuries there that resurface as you get older.

“I felt a massive improvement in my hip and both my knees last week. You see it in other sports and codes like football and it only makes sense that it is introduced to our code too.

“It’s very taxing on the body and when you can come back in — especially on a hot day — and drop in an ice bath, it helps the muscles recover from the last ride so you can get back out there and perform at your best again.”

Kristy Gentle — who operates the Nerang-based Power Lounge that is operating the GCTC facility — said it would be an asset to the jockeys.

“It is optimum for them to recover,” Gentle said.

“They can use it multiple times through the day so if they have any niggles we can flush them out between races depending on how much time they have got.”