Less than a week after a record number of female athletes were revealed in Racing Victoria’s latest apprentice crop, star jockey Katelyn Mallyon moved to the top of the National Patient Transport Rising Stars Series leaderboard after an all-the-way victory at Echuca today.
Trumping her male counterparts in the 1200m Handicap, the in-form Mallyon jumped well aboard favourite Cognac Girl and led the field the entire journey.
“It was pretty easy work for her when she jumped straight to the front because she just travelled beautifully for me and gave a really good kick,” Mallyon said.
“We had easy sectionals early in the race which allowed me to have such a kick late.
“She looked very hard to beat on paper so I’m glad it worked out that way.”
Today’s efforts came on the back of a stellar run on metropolitan tracks of late for Mallyon, who has recently joined the stable of Flemington-based Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra, including victories on each of the last three Saturdays.
“I’m enjoying my riding at the moment, everything is going really well and I hope it can continue.”
Today’s victory saw Mallyon pick up a maximum 12 points (30 points) in the series that offers points on a 12-6-4-2-1 basis to the first five placegetters. In doing so, Mallyon leapfrogged her rivals and is now heading the series ahead of today’s second placegetter Josh Cartwright, now only two points adrift (28) after Cartwright drove home Esprit Warrior to finish a length behind in second.
Fresh off the back of his first Flemington victory, Harry Coffey, claimed third position aboard Doing Our Best and shifted into 11th position (12 points)
The next heat of the National Patient Transport Rising Stars will be held at Werribee on Friday, 7 February.
Click to view official result
Click to view leaderboard