Panya out to join elite group in Qld Oaks
Deanne Panya will be chasing a slice of racing history on Highway in the Group One Queensland Oaks.
Sydney jockey Deanne Panya will join a select group of women riders if she can win the Group One Queensland Oaks on Highway.
Highway indicated she had a good Oaks chance when third in the Doomben Roses (2000m) two weeks ago.
Doomben has been a happy hunting ground for women jockeys, dating back to 1979 when Linda Jones became the first female rider in Australia to win a race against men.
She won the Labour Day Cup on Pay The Purple, starting a long run of success for women jockeys in Doomben in feature races.
Dianne Mosley was the first woman to ride a Group One winner in Queensland when Double You Em took the Doomben Cup in 1982.
Maree Lyndon also won a Doomben Cup on Mr Trick in 1985.
Pam O’Neill, Bernadette Cooper, Lacey Morrison, Cathy Tremayne, Tegan Harrison and Tiffani Brooker have won feature races at Doomben.
Panya is hopeful Highway will measure up to the Oaks on Saturday.
“Highway is bred to stay and it was a good run up on the pace (in the Doomben Roses),” Panya said.