Fresh from a successful campaign in outback Queensland, Darwin apprentice Emma Lines made a triumphant return to Fannie Bay on Saturday with a winning treble.
The 17-year-old got the cash for her master Phil Cole aboard Plague Stone (+1900) and Soul Spirit (+320 eq fav) before celebrating on Madame Romanov (+1000) for trainer Tayarn Halter.
It’s no secret the teenager’s career started last December before finishing third in the 2022/23 Top End jockeys’ premiership with 21 wins behind Jarrod Todd (42) and Sonja Logan (30).
Significantly, it was also Lines’ second treble after booting Star Magnum, Afternoon Tea, and Nokondi home for Cole on Day 3 of the Darwin Cup Carnival in July.
Due to her winning ways, Lines’ claim is now 2kg.
After having success with Sedona on Katherine Cup Day on August 19, Cole and Lines had no luck at their first Simpson Desert Racing Carnival meeting at Betoota on August 26 before becoming the leading trainer and jockey following the Birdsville meetings on September 1–2.
Apart from Little Town Blues and Vunivalu winning at Birdsville, Cole and Lines were placed in other races, with Lines also having success on the Kym Healy-trained Equal Balance.
Lines also triumphed at Bedourie on September 9 on Cole’s Exgames before winning on Equal Balance, whom she rode to victory on Darwin Cup Day on August 7, in the Bedourie Cup (1600m).
A suspension incurred at Bedourie saw Lines miss the Winton meeting on September 16, where Cole had two wins with Great Boulder, who won at Katherine with Wayne Davis on board, and Colhoun.
Cole turned to Queensland jockey Brendon Newport, with Lines as strapper.
To cap off a big day on Saturday, Cole’s wife Rhonda and Tanya Reichstein, who has close ties with the Cole stable, both celebrated their 50th birthday.
It was also a sombre occasion as it was the first meeting without former No.1 stable rider and the ever-popular Wayne Davis, who has left for Geraldton after 10 years in the Top End.
It certainly was a change of guard for Cole with Lines, who hadn’t ridden interstate previously before venturing to Queensland, marking her first day as the No.1 stable rider in spectacular style.
Plague Stone, acquired from Victorian trainer Neil Dyer following the Darwin Cup Carnival, was a first up eighth for Cole over 1100m (BM54) two weeks ago before leading all the way over 1300m (0-58) on Saturday to win by 2.6 lengths from Gary Clarke’s Wilsons Prom and Halter’s Tyquendo.
After four seconds from seven starts following a win on Anzac Day, the outside barrier proved no hindrance for Soul Spirit en route to victory by 1.2 lengths over 1100m (0-64).
Soul Spirit sat outside joint leaders Pocket Pistol and Hard To Excel when they jumped and the trio continued to dominate before Soul Spirit shook off Halter’s Pocket Pistol, who finished third, in the home straight with Cole’s Charretera, last exiting the back straight, flashing home for second.
Jumping from the inside gate over 1000m (0-58), Madame Romanov sat inside the early leader Henestrosa and little separated the pair before Halter’s horse finally won a race at the 15th attempt after kicking clear at the 250m to win by 4.3 lengths from Jason Manning’s Minister and Tom Logan’s +140 favourite Control Freak.
Meanwhile, the Chris Nash-trained Ideas Man (+260 fav) made it three straight wins when he too led from start to finish to take out the feature race over 1200m (BM76).
With visiting Victorian apprentice Makisha Salter claiming 3kg, Ideas Man (59.5kg) capitalised on the inside gate to lead comfortably at the 500m and although a number of challengers converged in the home straight, he was safe with 200m to go.
Ideas Man, second in the Palmerston Sprint (1200m) on August 5, boasts five wins and two seconds from his past seven starts and prevailed on Saturday by less than a length from Halter’s City Regal and Clarke’s Influential Jack.
For Salter, based at Mornington, it was two wins in as many Darwin meetings after a successful debut on Peter Stennett’s The Albion a fortnight ago.
Speaking of The Albion, he finished strongly for second behind Clarke’s +115 bookmaker favourite American Jazz (Todd) – victorious by 12 lengths in a 1300m maiden on August 2 – over 1300m (0-58) with Chris Pollard’s +10000 hope Miss Epernay third.
American Jazz, an early -333.33 Pendlebury Bet favourite, was in front by the 1200m and continued to hold sway before kicking clear at the 600m to lead by six lengths passing the 400m before easing up to win by 3.2 lengths.
Clarke made it a winning double when +180 favourite Starspangledancer (Adam Nicholls) also led throughout to sink his rivals by 4.6 lengths over 1200m (Class 2) after a last start win in an 1100m maiden on July 29.
Starspangledancer had plenty of company when they jumped before edging clear down the side and only extended his advantage at the 350m once straightening for home with fast-finishing backmarkers Kirakat (Manning) and Bluffed (Stennett) filling the minor placings.
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