By Craig Kerry
Molly Bourke is thrilled to be in the lead in the Sydney apprentice premiership approaching the three-quarter mark of the season.
Now Bourke hopes soft tracks and the chance of more rain in the next two days of city meetings can help her stay there.
Molly Bourke gives the Gary Portelli-trained Tenderize a pat after their Midway Handicap win at Rosehill on April 1. Credit: Getty Images
Bourke has 22 city wins for the season after two midweek victories and a Midway Saturday success this month.
She is the first to go past the mark of 21 set by two-time champion Zac Lloyd, before he came out of his time, but she faces a strong challenge from in-form Braith Nock, who has surged to 20. Zac Wadick (19) looks the other contender.
Bourke, a two-kilogram claimer, is hoping to keep the winners ticking over into the post-autumn carnival period when many of Sydney’s senior riders head interstate for feature meetings.
“It’s a massive achievement just to even hit the front,” Bourke said. “Obviously the boys are quite competitive, and they’re not far behind me, but it would be a dream come true if I could hold on.
“I think we’ve done well. Our plan was to try and stay at the metros through the whole carnival and I did succeed. I had at least one ride every week on a Saturday here, but now it should start to pick up again with all the big jockeys away.
“We get a lot more of an opportunity, and with a claim on the wet tracks, it’s the ideal time for apprentices.”
Molly Bourke lands another winner with Dark Glitter at Randwick on February 8.Credit: Getty Images
Nock has strong chances in Insist and Eraantyva at the Anzac Day program on the Kensington track on Friday, then more on the main course at Randwick on Saturday with Akaysha, Massira, Zealously and Lonhro’s Queen.
Bourke has hopes as well, which she believes will be enhanced if the tracks stay in the soft range. Photographics, for boss John Sargent, leads the charge on Saturday and is a $2.35 Sportsbet favourite in the Midway Handicap.
“She had a little bit of a setback – just a stone bruise around the stables – so she had a little freshen-up trial in between her runs and she actually won that trial quite impressively and felt really well underneath me,” she said.
“Hopefully she’s primed to go again for Saturday. If the rain stays around, it’s great for her; she loves the sting out of the track.”
She also rides for Sargent in the last on So Dazzling ($67).
“She’s a mare that gets out over more of a trip, so first up, it’ll be a bit of a warm-up run,” she said.
“We just want to see her hit the line. But, once again, she always grows a leg on the wet.”
On Friday, Bourke is excited to get back aboard 2024 Country Championship winner Asgarda for Wagga Wagga trainer Doug Gorrel in the last.
“It was wet that day she won the championship, so hopefully the ideal gate, on a wet track, she should be very hard to beat,” Bourke said.
Casual Connection ($6.50) in the fifth for Sargent is another chance.
“He loves a wet track, he’s fit and up to the right distance now,” she said.
Fan favourite farewelled
The racing community is mourning the death on Thursday of three-time group 1 winner Happy Clapper, which died at age 14 from colic.
The Pat Webster-trained gelding won the group 1 Epsom Handicap, Doncaster Mile and Canterbury Stakes in the 2017-18 season and was placed six times behind the legendary Winx. He won $3.7 million in total prizemoney.
