Weekend Wrap: City Treble For Rochelle

Rochelle Milnes’ brilliant start to the new racing season continued on the Parks at Morphettville on the weekend with a riding treble.

Milnes, who rode 86 winners last season, has started 2024-25 in style with 14 winners and 22 placegetters from just 100 rides.

She claimed the opening race of the day when the Byron Cozamanis-trained Talisay upstaged race favourite Goldrush Guru, helped the in-form Nurys to another win for David Huxtable before continuing her great relationship with the Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea-trained Favourite Child who scored her fifth win from her past seven starts.

Favourite Child’s win making amends for her pre-race scratching in the Balaklava Cup where she was set to run as the popular pick.

“She’s a really nice little horse, she loves her job,’’ Milnes said.

Co-trainer Niki O’Shea suggesting the Listed Murray Bridge Cup would be her next mission, a race the stable won two years ago with another former Victorian mare Agreeable.

“I reckon the Murray Bridge Cup would have to be on the agenda,’’ O’Shea said.

“She’s had a massive prep but it would be hard to stop now,’’ he said.

The Richard and Chantelle Jolly-stable will look to head back to Victoria with talented mare Aviatress after her return to winning form at Morphettville on the weekend.

“It was a messy race,’’ Toeroek said.

“When I did get the run through, she took a bit to wind up.

“She’s a smart galloper, hopefully she can go to Melbourne now and get the job done,’’ he said.

Meanwhile Victorian trainer Jamie Edwards claimed a heat of the Jericho Cup at Mount Gambier on Sunday when Reddivo was successful with Jess Eaton in the saddle.