Jacob Opperman finished 2021 in style producing a picture-perfect ride aboard Picaroon in the $102,250 Alcopop Series Final at Morphettville on Friday night.
Opperman rode a patient race aboard the Michael O’Leary-trained mare who dived between horses in the final 50m to claim the feature for veteran Mount Gambier horseman.
Opperman has ridden 79 of his 108 career wins in 2021, the highlight claiming a Group 3 victory aboard Royal Mile in the Chairman’s Stakes at Morphettville back in May with plenty to come for the young gun.
Ryan Balfour’s strong finish to 2021 continued with a double on Friday afternoon when Tradewind won the opener before Fighting McLaren was too strong for his rivals.
Fighting McLaren’s jockey Jason Holder shared riding honours with a double when talented four-year-old Ichibansan made it consecutive wins while Barend Vorster and the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable also combined for a double.
The McEvoys took that winning form to Gawler on Saturday with another double.
Got The Style gave Madison Lloyd her first South Australian city success while Fighter continued his progression through the staying ranks a tick over 30 minutes later.
And it was a perfect ride by Jake Toeroek that saw Lady Simone claim the day’s feature – the Sir Prancealot Series Final – when she defeated Free Of Sin.
In Melbourne Will Clarken’s Second Slip continued his brilliant campaign to win at Flemington with Jamie Kah in the saddle.
The former Kiwi has now won six of 12 starts since coming to Adelaide and is poised to join stablemates He’s A Balter and Parsifal on the International stage and venture to Dubai in early 2022.
“He was going to put them away by a bit more but pricked his ears,’’ Kah said.
“He’s a big baby, he’s a nice horse but Will had him perfect,’’ she said.
Sunday saw Ryan Hurdle claim riding honours at Port Lincoln, taking out Race 6 aboard Fosshio and scoring on the Byron Cozamanis-trained Sanbuck in Race 7.
