Jye McNeil will only need to finish in the top five in the Rising Stars Final at Flemington to win the series.
The Final of the apprentices’ series is on Saturday and McNeil has been booked to ride the Robert Smerdon-trained Every Faith.
Victory in the final heat at Echuca on Monday aboard Just Too Hard put McNeil in equal first with Jackie Beriman who will miss Saturday’s meeting because she will be in the United States to ride in an apprentices’ race in Sacramento.
The Rising Stars Series comprises 24 races in Victoria during the season on country and provincial tracks along with the final at Flemington.
Apprentices get 12 points for a win, six for second, four for third, two for fourth and one for fifth.
Beriman and McNeil are both on 56 with Jessica Payne and Beau Mertens next on 38, too far back to win the series.
McNeil finished equal first with Regan Bayliss last season and hopes to finish the series in style at Flemington and secure at least the one point he needs to go clear of Beriman.
“I had a really good start (to the series) this season and won a couple of races early on,” McNeil said.
“When I got a nice little lead I made it a goal to win it again this year and hopefully I can do it.”
McNeil rode a winning treble on Monday.
