Taree apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald’s amazing start in the 2024-25 season continued at Newcastle on Saturday when the 22-year-old rode her 32.5 winner in only two months and five days of the season. The daughter of former jockey Malcom Fitzgerald rode the Gosford trained Procrastinator ($7.50) to a half head victory in the 900 meter Signify Midway Benchmark 64 Handicap. Fitzgerald utilised Procrastinator’s speed and rails barrier to share the lead from the outset and when headed halfway down the straight the 5-year-old fought hard under the apprentice’s vigorous riding.
Fifteen of Procrastinators twenty-two starts have been at Newcastle over the short course where he has notched up his only three wins. The Greg McFarlane trained gelding’s win on Saturday was his first in more than two years. Following Saturday’s meeting Fitzgerald’s 32.5 winners has her second place behind James McDonald (37) in the NSW Jockeys Premiership. An amazing feat considering the talented apprentice only had her first ride in a race at Taree on August 18, 2023.
Another jockey enjoying a flying start to the current season is Jean Van Overmeire who took the riding honours at Newcastle on Saturday with a double. ‘JVO’ started the meeting with a narrow win on the Angela Davies trained Alice Mae in the opening event the 1500 metre. Aporto Maiden Handicap and later in the day his rails hugging ride on James Cummings Restonica was responsible for the 4-year-olds narrow win the in 1200 metre Astute Financial Benchmark 64 Handicap. JVO’s 27 winners already this season has him in third place in the NSW Jockeys Premiership after he rode 104 winners’ last season. After a slow start Alice Mae settled midfield and after being held up for a short time in the straight the mare nailed favourite Vieri in the shadows of the post. The winner was heavily backed form $5.50 into $3.30.
Restonica was the bright light for the James Cummings stables trio of runners at the meeting. Heavily backed into $1.85 the favourite settled fourth behind a tearaway leader and he never went around a horse before taking the lead in the straight and holding on for a narrow win. Cummings other two starters Creek and Rip Off were beaten favourites but had no luck. Creek contested the 1400 metre Denton Engineering Class 1 Handicap, and he was trapped three wide with no cover back in the field. He finished strong to gain second place behind all the way winner Evenflow which had an easy win unchallenged. Cummings mare Rip Off was the subject of a huge plunge in the final event the 1300 metre Newcastle Bus and Truck Hire Benchmark 68 Handicap and this was the hard luck story of the meeting. Rip Off drifted back soon after the start and was badly held up looking for room between runners in the straight.
Local trainers David Atkins and Paul Perry both saddled up a winner on the day. Atkins won the 1880 metre The Entrance Leagues Club Benchmark 64 Handicap with Rockbarton Icon while Perry’s Princess Cruiser continued her good form on her home track with a fast-finishing victory in the 1300 metre Newcastle Bus And Truck Hire Benchmark 68 Handicap. The mare a daughter of the trainer’s star sprinter Choisir was placed twice on the track in August before powering home to win at Newcastle on September 21.