Final Opportunity For Title Fighters

Thursday, 08 July 2010 22:22

As the racing season draws to an end, this Saturday’s Flemington Finals Day will see a host of gripping premiership stoushes between some of racing’s brightest stars.

Four of Australia’s most accomplished jockeys are in a tussle to take the title of leading jockey at Flemington for the 2009/10 racing season.

Star hoops Glen Boss, Luke Nolen and Michael Rodd each have 12 Flemington wins for the season with rising star Nick Hall only one win behind heading into the final Flemington raceday for the season.

Nolen is unrivalled for the metropolitan premiership however his supremacy at Flemington is far less assured.

Three time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Boss has given himself the best chance of taking the crown with rides in seven of the day’s eight races. Nolen and Hall are nominated for four and two rides respectively.

Only Rodd had no rides booked when fields were released this (Thursday) morning and will have to rely on a fruitless day for his competitors to share the bragging rights.

Of the leading jockeys it is Rodd who exemplifies the mantra of quality over quantity, achieving his 12 wins from only 45 Flemington starts for a strike rate of 26.7%. In comparison, Boss (11.4%), Nolen (17.1%) and Hall (18.6%) have had 105, 70 and 59 starts respectively.

Peter Moody leads Melbourne Cup custodian Mark Kavanagh 16 wins to 13 on the leading trainer at Flemington table in 2009/10. Moody will add the Flemington title to his season accomplishments with Kavanagh only represented by runners in two races on Saturday.

David Hayes, who has held the title for the previous three seasons, now trails Moody by five wins and sits in third with 11 victories. Hayes is in striking distance of second place and fellow Flemington trainer Kavanagh with runners engaged in four races.

Like stable jockey Rodd, Kavanagh enjoys an unparalleled strike rate for the season (28.3%), reflecting the effectiveness of the relationship. Only master trainer Bart Cummings (22.2%) comes close in percentage terms, well ahead of tally-leader Moody (17.4%) who, it must be said, has produced considerably more starters.

While Moody holds an unassailable lead in the metropolitan trainer premiership, only three wins separates places two to six. With contenders Mick Price, Robert Smerdon,

David Hayes, Mark Kavanagh and Lee Freedman all fielding runners on Flemington Finals Day, Flemington is shaping to be a crucial battleground in that title fight also.

Flemington Finals Day will feature the finals of no less than six series including the Listed $202,000 VRC-CRV Winter Championship Series Final (1600m), the $151,500 Banjo Paterson Series Final (2500m) and the $151,000 All Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m).

Leading Jockeys @ Flemington (since August 1, 2009)

Leading Metropolitan Jockeys (since August 1, 2009)

Leading Trainers @ Flemington (since August 1, 2009)

Leading Metropolitan Trainers (since August 1, 2009)

Picture: Fiona Tomlin

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