South Australia’s leading jockey Clare Lindop is closing in a personal milestone when she heads to Murray Bridge for four rides on Wednesday.
Clare Lindop above winning on the Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas trained Royal Rumble at Morphettville. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
Lindop has ridden ninety-seven winners for the 2014 – 2015 racing season with ninety-six in South Australia and one in Western Australia and a winner or two on Wednesday would take her closer to that magical one hundred mark.
Lindop will team up with her main supporters Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas with first starter She’s A Storm in the Two Year Old Maiden (1000m) and will also be on Romulus Flight for Dion Koch in the Maiden Plate (1600m), Downunder Prince in the Class 1 Handicap (1400m) for trainer Grant Kluske and Ultra Vires for Roslyn Day in the 0 – 62 Handicap (1200m).
As well as being the State’s leading rider, Lindop is also on target to win her third Adelaide metropolitan jockey’s premiership and is currently on fifty-five wins, fifteen clear of her nearest rival Jason Holder on forty.
“My goal this season was to ride 52 winners in the metropolitan area, that’s a winner a week because we only race once a week in the city,” Lindop told racenet.
“I’ve got 55 winners there so that’s over and above what I expected at the start of the season.”
Lindop tried her luck in Melbourne last Saturday with eight rides on Flemington Finals Day but the closet she got was two fourths on Hell On Earth in the Listed $120,000 A.R. Creswick Series Final (1200m) and on Nearest To Pin for Macdonald and Gluyas in the Listed $150,000 All Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m).
Macdonald and Gluyas are riding on the winning wave set by Lindop and the lady jockey has visited the winner’s stall thirty-three times this season on their horses.
Lindop has put her better that average season down to three main reasons, she has been injury free, had very few suspensions and has had the services of a manger for the first time.
“This year I’ve stayed injury-free and suspension free and it’s made a big difference,” Lindop said.
“This year is actually the first year I have had a manager and he’s been a great help.”
While Lindop has had limited opportunities at Group 1 level this season, she has four Group 1 wins on her record including a win in the 2008 $1.5m Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on Rebel Raider for Leon Macdonald.
Her other three Group 1 wins have been in her home state at Morphettville with Rebel Raider also winning the South Australian Derby (2500m) in 2009, Exalted Time won the 2006 Adelaide Cup (3200m) and Lone Rock took out the 2011 Goodwood (1200m).
