Angela Jones suspended at Doomben but still in box seat to claim Brisbane jockeys' premiership

The Australian

5 days ago

Angela Jones copped a 13-day suspension and a severe reprimand from stewards on a dramatic Saturday at a wet Doomben but she's still in prime position to take out the Brisbane metro jockeys' premiership.
Jones extended her lead to two victories over apprentice Emily Lang (64 wins) in the premiership race before a lightning storm brought a delay to proceedings after four races.
At that stage Jones had already steered home a winner, gelding Space Age in a Benchmark 85 over 1615m, to inch closer to becoming the first woman to secure a Brisbane metro jockeys' crown.
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However, it wasn't all plain sailing for Jones, who copped a pair of riding suspensions and a severe reprimand from stewards from incidents in the opening race.
Jones drew the ire of stewards for her ride on Tony Gollan's $2.20 favourite Boomshanka, being charged twice for careless riding.
But her 13-day suspension won't impact her prospects of scoring the riding premiership, given she has deferred the ban to start after next Saturday's Eagle Farm meeting, which forms part of the new racing season from August 1.
Chief steward Josh Adams told Jones: 'We don't want to sour what should be an exciting time for you.
'But out of one race, we have suspended you twice and also reprimanded you.'
Lang and Jones playfully donned boxing gloves for a photo shoot during the storm delay, but the gloves will be off when the premiership title goes on the line at Doomben on Wednesday.
It will be a fitting end to a thrilling battle between the close mates, who both work for Brisbane's top trainer Gollan.
Whoever wins the premiership, Lang said she will always be indebted to Jones for being a shoulder to lean on in the early days of her apprenticeship.
'I looked up to Ange for a long time, she was already race riding before I had even started riding trials,' Lang said.
'She went through the grades really quickly and I looked at her and I thought that's what I aspire to be.
'Ange put the writing on the wall in her first year in town as an apprentice and, as a female jockey myself, I really looked up to her.'
Angela Jones with Emily Lang at Doomben on Saturday. Picture: Trackside Photography.
Racing Queensland officials opted to reschedule the final race on the card, a 3YO Handicap over 1350m, to Wednesday at Doomben, as the light faded and the track deteriorated to a Heavy 9.
In that postponed race, Jones was booked to ride Estrondo for trainer Rob Heathcote and Lang was due to pilot Fireforce for Kelly Schweida.
Lang was denied a chance to narrow the gap in race seven when her ride Set To Shine was a late scratching at the barriers, with Jones finishing runner-up on Castillian ($3.40) to roughie Super Duck ($21).