Tight race remains between Byrne and Lloyd
Jim Byrne and Jeff Lloyd have ridden Eagle Farm doubles to maintain the status quo at the top of the tight fight for the Brisbane jockeys’ premiership.
Byrne moved to 71.5 with his double on Murphy’s Delight ($2.60) and One Inch Punch ($4.20) on Saturday, while Lloyd took his total to 74 with wins on Beckham ($3.50) and Where’s That Dragon ($9).
Four metropolitan meetings remain and the premiership is set to go down to the last day, with Lloyd and Byrne riding 12 winners between them in the past week.
Lloyd could have ridden One Inch Punch, which he won on at Doomben in the gelding’s previous start, but elected to ride unplaced Embley for Sydney trainer Bjorn Baker.
One Inch Punch was the first leg of a winning double for trainer Toby Edmonds, who also won with Mr Epic ($6).
“He is owned by the same people who had a former smart two-year-old in Sundance with me and they sent him north to find some soft tracks,” Edmonds said.
“Luckily we have got a few for him and he has won twice since arriving here.”
One Inch Punch won by a nose in the BOQ Victoria Point Hcp (1400m), but Mr Epic’s win was by a far more clear-cut 1-1/4 lengths in the Three Year Old Plate (1500m).
“Mr Epic has been very honest and that was his third win in a race with a QTIS bonus,” Edmonds said.
Leading northern rivers jockey Matt McGuren made a rare trip to Brisbane to ride Mr Epic.
“I ride in the northern rivers during the week and then at the Gold Coast on Saturdays. But the connections flew me to Rockhampton to win on Mr Epic at his previous start and I owed them, so I said I would come here today,” McGuren said.
Where’s That Dragon was having her first start in four months but confirmed her rating as an above-average wet tracker.
“She is honest and that was her fourth win on a wet track. I expect her to go on from here,” trainer Kelly Doughty said.
Former Kiwi jockey Amelia Denby scored her first Brisbane Saturday winner on Eminent Knight ($12), which won the Class 3 Plate (1800m).
“I have ridden 82 winners all up and recently lost my provincial allowance. I won a midweek race on Hannah’s Wish recently but this was my first Saturday winner in town,” she said.
Graham Green, who saddled the winner for his wife, Julie Green, said Eminent Knight had plenty of ability and would be a good horse during the Brisbane spring.
“Amelia has done a lot of work with him and she deserved the winning ride today,” he said.