LUKE Cumberland, Ben Looker and Mollie Partridge all bolted up their respective jockey and apprentice premierships courtesy of doubles at Armidale on Monday while Tamworth trainer Mark Mason also joined the leading training trio in the Hunter and North West Racing Association trainers’ premiership.
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Mason’s pair of winners – Hot Enough and Henny The First – took him to six wins for the new season, equal top with Jane Clement, Kris Lees and last year’s winner, Paul Perry.
Just a win behind are Greg Bennett, Jan Bowen, Allan Denham and Sue Grills, with Michelle Fleming, Craig Martin and Bill “Bot” Thompson another win away on four successes in what is a real log- jam at the top.
The jockeys’ premiership is not as congested, with Greg Ryan out in front with 17 wins however Cumberland ate into what had been a 10-win gap by snaring the first two winners at Armidale on Monday – Valyrian Steel and Hot Enough.
Cumberland has nine winners to lie outright second while Looker also moved up the ranks too with his double, Jayzou and Smart Bet.
Jayzou’s win was impressive and former jockey and Sky Thoroughbred Central’s Gary Kliese also praised the ride.
“He let him work down the hill,” Kliese said of Looker.
“He rode the horse perfectly.”
Looker said he did have a nice run on the Allan Kehoe-trained gelding although he did want to stargaze a little.
Looker’s pair of winners took him to four for the season after he’d notched a double at Gunnedah on Saturday.
Partridge’s double of race wins at Armidale – Henny The First and Idle Shiver – enabled her to join Melinda Graham on five wins for the HNWRA season, just two behind apprentice premiership leaders Sam Clenton and Rachel King.
She might have a chance to add to that at Scone on Friday.
The HNWRA season continues unabated with Scone (Friday), Inverell (Saturday) and then next Tuesday’s South Muswellbrook Cup meeting.
That South Muswellbrook Cup day is the start of a big few weeks for the Muswellbrook Race Club as it races again on Sunday November 1, with the Wayne Harris Benchmark 70 Handicap a feature race before the massive Muswellbrook Gold Cup day on Tuesday, November 3.
The $50,000 Muswellbrook Gold Cup (1500m) is the highlight race on a day where the Melbourne Cup stops a nation.