As the calendar year of racing is in its final weeks the race to the Jockeys Premiership in each individual state across the country is heating up.
However, in some states it’s been well known for some time who will take home the silverware. As is the case in South Australia with Clare Lindop currently sitting 15 wins clear of second placed Jason Holder.
Lindop has 55 wins so far in the season accumulating just over $1.8 million in prize money in South Australia alone, going at a strike rate of 18.90 per cent from her 291 starts. Last year’s winner Dom Tourner is well back in the field with 27 wins for the season.
Jim Byrne is also well clear in his quest for glory in Queensland with 68 winners from 525 starts at a rate of 13 per cent. He has collected just over $3.7 million for the season. Byrne leads Luke Tarrant by 11 wins and last year’s winner Timothy Bell by 16 wins.
William Pike is the pride of Western Australia and despite a shoulder surgery ending his season in early May he still leads in commanding fashion. He has 74 winners from 377 starts at a strike rate of 19.60 per cent, accumulating just over $5.1 million in prize money.
Lucy Warwick is unlikely to catch Pike but it’s worth mentioning she spent a bit of time racing in Victoria, she sits on 60.5 wins at a strike rate of 17.20 per cent with prize money sitting at just over $2.2 million. In my belief Warwick is one of the rising stars worth watching in the coming years.
Down South in Tasmania David Pires holds a slender lead over last year’s winner Brendan McCoull. Pires has 69 winners from 368 starts at 18.80 per cent but McCoull’s strike rate is far superior with 66 winners coming from 299 starts at 22.10 per cent. With two more meetings to go the race to the premiership is sure to go down to the wire.
From the south we now head north to Darwin where Brendon Davis is looking to defend his title against Carl Spry. Davis has 26 wins from 112 starts at a 23.20 per cent strikes rate while Spry has 23 wins from 89 starts for an outstanding 25.80 per cent strike rate.
With two meetings to go it will be very tight, and it’s worth mentioning that Spry also sits fifth in the trainer’s premiership with a handy strike rate of 28.90 per cent.
Back down south to a place close to my heart in Canberra, with two jockeys set to battle it out for supremacy in the nation’s capital. Jay Ford was looking comfortable until two weeks ago when Richard Bensley rode a treble in the first three races at Thoroughbred Park.
Ford hit back late with one winner on the card to take his tally to 24 for the season from 112 starts at a handy strike rate of 21.40 per cent, while Bensley has 23 wins from from 120 starts at 19.20 per cent.
With two race meetings to go the winner might not be known until the last race meeting of the season.
Now to the metro premierships of Sydney and Melbourne where we have a three-horse race (see what I did there) for supremacy.
In Sydney, James McDonald all but thought his premiership hopes of going back to back were dashed when he went overseas to race for Godolphin in England. But he comes back with a one win lead over Blake Shinn and a two and a half lead over Hugh Bowman.
McDonald has 88.5 wins for the season from 413 starts at an amazing 21.50 per cent strike rate in such a competitive place to race. He has also amassed just over $9.1 million in prize money.
Down south in Melbourne Dwayne Dunn is sitting in second, but his dream of a maiden metro title hangs in the balance after he was suspended for 11 meetings. If he can’t overturn it then Craig Williams and Damien Oliver sit in the hot seat.
Williams currently leads on 53 wins with Dunn second on 52, Oliver is then one back on 51. It’s worth noting that Oliver looks to have won the big races, amassing close to $6.7 million in prize money with Williams sitting on $4.8 million and Dunn on $5.5 million.
But all that money won’t mean much if he can’t snare the title. If Oliver was to win the title it would mean going back to back. In what I believe is the most competitive place to race in Australia, it would be a terrific achievement.
Also Oliver’s strike rate of 13.30 per cent is the best of any jockey in the top 20 in the Melbourne metro standings. Nicholas Hall is the next best at 13 per cent.
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