It is a sign of the times that country racing depends on young female apprentice jockeys and at Inverell on Saturday nine of the thirteen jockeys participating were ladies and they rode all the winners bar the last where Shane Arnold on Gilded Spirit was able to defend the boys’ honour.

Inverell Times readers cleaned up with the 5 ½ lengths win of Victory Lass in the Picnic Race Club Cup at the juicy odds of $7. Victory Lass featured in last week’s Times with trainer Todd Payne and co-owner Lee Mitchell aiming for, and achieving, a hat trick of wins with the mare they recently purchased.

Gemma Steele’s gem of a ride, leading all the way on Victory Lass continued her winning association with the Payne stable and depending on who is counting, it  was either her 100th or 99th winner in her riding career.

Steele developed her skills on the tough outback Queensland circuit around Longreach and Charleville.

The locals were also cheering Dean Smith-trained Spyro Dragon to a dominant 4 ½ lengths win in the Spinks Seed Grading Plate. Spyro Dragon started favourite but at the surprisingly good odds of $3.60 after good form at the strong Grafton carnival. Credit for the win might need to be shared in the Smith household as trainer Dean has been enjoying the sunshine in Darwin leaving partner and co-owner Joanna Methven to battle the early morning frosts at Inverell.

The closest finish was in the Peter Tanner Roofing Maiden where Theresa and Steve Lennon looked to have another win for the locals with Charming Charlie run down in the last bound by Gunnedah trained Snitsnbits.

Snitsnbits is a well bred mare by champion sire Snitzel and was a $120,000 yearling now trained by Gavin Groth who was given a simple instruction by the owner: “Get a win somewhere”. Groth recently won one of the Highway series of races at Rosehill with another horse previously regarded as disappointing and is establishing a winning reputation with tried horses.

Elsmore daughter Rachael Murray did not ride a winner at Inverell but she made up for it with a record breaking day at Scone on Monday riding four winners with the shortest price ride being $6. Murray is now approaching 250 wins in her career and previously ridden a treble on nine occasions but never four in one day which is a feat achieved by few jockeys even at the highest level.

It is a tough job as a jockey with Murray’s program in the last week as follows: Thursday, Gosford, Friday, Tamworth, Saturday, Inverell, Sunday, Narromine, Monday; Scone, Wednesday; Canterbury.