Like all top jockeys do, Angela Jones will be looking ahead and not back when she steps out at Eagle Farm on Saturday with her focus reset on riding winners that will extend her fragile lead at the head of the Brisbane Jockey’s Premiership.
That Premiership has become a well-documented two-way battle between Jones and Emily Lang, who is currently serving a suspension.
Jones came back from suspension of her own on Wednesday but, with Lang watching from the sidelines, she drew a blank at the midweek meeting at Doomben, frustratingly finishing second on no less than three occasions.
Thursday was also not a happy day for Jones, although not applicable to the Brisbane Premiership challenge.
She made the trip South to ride at the Grafton Carnival … with her primary target being the Grafton Cup where she was booked to ride the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Bear On The Loose, who was the race favourite … but she did not get to compete in the race when Bear On The Loose became a late scratching at the eleventh hour after an incident in the barriers.
A day of ‘rest’ in-between … as if there is such a thing for jockeys … and now it’s on to Saturday and the resumption of the Premiership battle.
With Lang still sidelined, the door is open for Jones, who has a full book of rides … six for Tony Gollan, one for Ciaron Maher, one for Robert Heathcote and one for the Chris and Corey Munce training partnership.
That currently has Jones on three favourites, but there are no ‘gimmes’ amongst them.
It remains quite a match race.
Number of current Metropolitan winners for the season: Jones 64 – Lang 62.
Metropolitan rides for the season to date: Jones 495 – Lang 491.
Winning strike rate: Jones 12.9 percent. Lang – 12.6 percent.
Place strike rate: Jones 34.5 percent. Lang – 34.8 percent.
Number of second placings: Jones 55 – Lang 47. This will be important in the unlikely event if a tie at the end of the season as the Premiership will then be decided on a countback.
Three metropolitan meetings will remain after Saturday until the end of the season.
