The good news...Last season's champion apprentice jockey Kate Mallyon is making excellent progress as she continues her much publicised comeback. The popular 18YO - the face of this year's Spring Racing Carnival advertising - is on target for a return to the saddle next month, says Racing Victoria. Kate sustained spinal injuries in a race fall at Flemington in May, but is back riding trackwork. She rode in her first official trial last week. Kate says: 'I'm aiming at returning to riding by Chris

The good news...Last season's champion apprentice jockey Kate Mallyon is making excellent progress as she continues her much publicised comeback. The popular 18YO - the face of this year's Spring Racing Carnival advertising - is on target for a return to the saddle next month, says Racing Victoria. Kate sustained spinal injuries in a race fall at Flemington in May, but is back riding trackwork. She rode in her first official trial last week. Kate says: 'I'm aiming at returning to riding by Christmas...I'm just taking it slowly but everything so far is going well and my specialist is really happy with my progress.' Despite missing more than two months of the 2011/12 season, Kate posted 58 winners - nine more than her nearest rival.

The Nathan Tinkler financial marathon rumbles on...Latest news is that the Patinack Farm boss has axed chief executive Peter Beer in his bid to downsize the struggling racing operation. Beer was appointed in December 2009 but copped his marching orders last Friday, the same day Patinack Farm announced it would be shutting down the Melbourne stables.