Irish born Apprentice Emily Finnegan has been crowned Dux of the UBET Apprentice Academy after a fantastic year which saw her win 56 races including 32 in the Metropolitan area.
The Dux Award caps off a memorable year for Finnegan who also took out the South Australian Metropolitan Apprentice of the Year Award and the Leon Macdonald Apprentice of the Year at the Thoroughbred Racing SA Industry Awards earlier this year.
Along with taking out the Dux Award, Finnegan also won the Caitlin Forrest Memorial Award, the Best Winning Strike Rate Award and received a Special Achievement Award for her Listed win on Split Lip. Her boss Phillip Stokes was also awarded the Master of Dux of the UBET Apprentice Academy Award.
Runner Up Dux Zac Spain also had a great year with two Metropolitan wins in Melbourne aboard the Lloyd Kennewell trained Jennyfromtheblock and Anaheim from the Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young Stable. Spain moved to Melbourne on a loan to the Busuttin & Young stable in July and has since transferred his apprenticeship to the Cranbourne based trainers. Since being based in Victoria he has ridden winners for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, Brent Stanley and Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young.
Raquel Clark took out the SA Racehorse Owners Association Award along with a Special Achievement Award for riding the first four winners on the Morphettville card in June along with winning the Listed Newmarket Handicap at Launceston aboard I'm Wesley earlier this month.
New comers Kayla Crowther and Alice Lindsay also took home awards with Crowther winning the Rising Star Award and the Best Place Strike Rate while Lindsay was awarded the Minister for Racing - Endeavour & Sportsmanship Award for her commitment to her new career.
For taking out this year's Dux Award, Emily Finnegan will spend two weeks' race riding in Singapore while Dux Runner-Up Zac Spain will spend two weeks with the Hong Kong Jockey Club Apprentice School where he will have the opportunity to ride track work and live in the jockey's compound at Sha Tin.This prize is a brand new initiative between Thoroughbred Racing SA and the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Full list of winners:
Classroom Peers Award |
Lachlan Neindorf |
Media Award |
Justin Huxtable |
SA Racehorse Owners Association Award |
Raquel Clark |
Simone Montgomerie Encouragement Award |
Anna Jordsjo |
Caitlin Forrest Memorial Award |
Emily Finnegan |
Most Winners in an Academy Year (Dec/Dec) |
Victor Wong - 62 winners |
Longest Priced Winner |
Jemma Frew – SHA LA LA Murray Bridge - $101 |
Best Place Strike Rate |
Kayla Crowther – 39.3% |
Best Winning Strike Rate |
Emily Finnegan – 15.5 % |
Rising Star – Junior Apprentice Award |
Kayla Crowther |
Special Achievement Awards |
Emily Finnegan – Dequetteville Stakes – SPLIT LIP |
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Zac Spain – JENNYFROMTHEBLOCK – Moonee Valley ANAHEIM - Caulfield |
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Raquel Clark – First 4 Winners at Morphettville on 24/06 - MIDNIGHT STORM - TENNESSEE RAIDER - STRATEGIC DEMAND - GALAXY GAZER
Listed Newmarket Handicap – I’M WESLEY – Launceston |
Minister of Racing – Endeavour & Sportsmanship Award |
Alice Lindsay |
Dux – Runner Up |
Zac Spain |
Dux |
Emily Finnegan |
Master of the Dux of the Apprentice Academy |
Phillip Stokes |