Rochelle Milnes continued her late season charge at the South Australian Jockey Premiership with a riding treble at Morphettville on Saturday.
The leading apprentice has ridden 71 wins for the 2023-24 season and is 12 wins behind leading rider Jake Toeroek who is set to take the remainder of the season off with a well-earned holiday.
Milnes was on the board early producing a perfectly timed run aboard Lake’s Folly for the Michael Hickmott stable, the second leg of a race to race double for the Murray Bridge horseman, before she continued her association with the Phillip Stokes stable getting Brave Star home.
Milnes locking away her first metropolitan treble, when Morris Minor spoilt the party for favourite punters in the last race upstaging short-priced Victorian Layeruponlayer.
Milnes quick to pay tribute to her bosses John Dunn and Krystal Bishop for her success.
“It’s really hard to talk about how much I appreciate the support from my bosses,’’ Milnes said.
“It’s unbelievable, I can't thank them enough.
“The (Racing SA Apprentice) Academy, Dean (Pettit) and Briony (Moore) and the support (from trainers).
“I ride work for Stokesy Tuesday mornings, I’ve really been rewarded for that.
“I never thought I’d do anything like this, I’m just blessed,’’ Milnes said.
Talented three-year-old Hot Off’s steady progression continued when he made it successive wins on the Parks.
The Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray-trained galloper has been a slow burn for the stable with a change in work attributed to horse’s past two wins in city company.
“He’s really found a sweet spot,’’ MacGillivray said.
“He’s a bit of a softie, it might be possibly a Press Statement (sire) thing and they take time to toughen up.
“He’s toughened up and doing the job now,’’ she said.
Campbell Rawiller made a successful return to Adelaide winning aboard El Salto stable who carried 65kg to victory for the Garret Lynch stable.
Lynch took that form to Port Augusta on Sunday where he produced a training treble, apprentice Tala Hutchinson’s impressive season continuing with a riding double while Milnes added another winner to her tally winning the opening race.
That combination grabbing more success by winning the opening race at Gawler on Monday before Hutchinson grabbed another riding double, her 25th win from just 119 rides since starting her career in February.
She shared riding honours with Dom Tourneur who was successful aboard Mist The Deadline and Monseagle late in the day.
