With the great Jamie Kah leading the way finishing like a train yesterday onboard PRINCE OF ARRAN (Shiraco-Storming Sioux) when 3rd in the Melbourne Cup, female hoops are on the rise.
And no better example of that will probably ever be seen than at Port Lincoln today.
The girls can and probably will, ride the card.
In the first, 4 of the 6 runners will be ridden by girls. GO THE JOURNEY with Caitlin Jones on top can lead all the way.
In race 2, 7 of the 10 runners will be ridden by girls. BRAZEN HEAD with Margaret Collett on top can finish too well.
In race 3, again 7 of the 10 runners will be ridden by girls. ROCKFACE LOUIE has the speed to lead all the way with apprentice Lizzie Annells on top.
In race 4, 6 of the 8 runners will be ridden by girls. Caitlin Jones again can win here with MAGNUS MAGIC.
In race 5, again a dominance with 7 of the 10 runners piloted by girls. The old boy DANCE OF HEROES with Anna Jordsjo riding can finish too well.
Race 6 looks a girls race too. Of the 8 runners, 6 will be ridden by the ladies. SOCIAL MEDIA for Margaret Collett looks nicely placed 3rd up and can lead throughout.
In race 7, there will be 10 runners with 8 to be ridden by the girls. Eran Boyd gets a chance for a win on SIR GARFIELD.
We move to race 8, and of the 10 runners, 7 will be handled by ladies. Kayla Crowther will bring SPENCER GULF, who is 3rd up, down the outside here.
Then finally, after a big and what could well be an historic day, of larger field of 12 hit the gates with girls riding 10 of them. Newcomer to these parts OLD TRIESTE for Libby Halliday, who resumes here, can sprint hardest.
The number of females entering apprentice schools across Australia over the past five years have profoundly swung ahead of the number of males. So, this female dominance is not surprising.
What still is surprising, and disappointing, is just one girl, Jamie Kah was in a field of 23 yesterday in the Cup.
It seems trainers and owners are happy to put the girls on in plain races, but when Black Type comes around, nope let’s stick to the lads because they ride smarter.
It’s a flawed philosophy.
Just watch James McDonald on JOVIALITY at Flemington yesterday as an example.
