A terrific season from Yankee Rockstar has boosted Emma Stewart and Gavin Lang's premiership chases.
With six runners at Tabcorp Park Melton tonight Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin’s all-conquering Smythes Creek stable will likely tip over the $1 million mark for stakes wins this season and tighten their stranglehold on training premierships.
Having amassed $985,848 in stakes this season, including 105 winners from 255 starts, Stewart leads both the Renown Silverware State Trainer of the Year and the Taylors Metropolitan Trainer of the Year races.
Fuelled by depth of talent and outstanding seasons from the likes of country cups champ Yankee Rockstar, Stewart is well on track to defend the two titles she won in 2014-15. Her stable has a strong card tonight, including Australian Pacing Gold favourite The Storm Inside.
The state premiership, which is determined by total winners, has Stewart on top with 105, some 33 clear of second-placed Andy Gath with David Aiken (68 wins) and Brent Lilley (63) next best. Stewart has 28 metropolitan wins, 10 clear of Aiken.
The Melton Saddlery Leading State Driver has a similarly dominant force, with Chris Alford on track to win an 11th premiership, having driven 169 winners from his 868 starts, which have yielded 399 placings and almost $1.6 million in stakes. Second is reigning premiership winner Greg Sugars on 131 wins.
Alford, Gavin Lang and Sugars are in a ripping battle for the SBG Accountants Metropolitan Driver of the Year premiership, with Alford’s four winners last Saturday boosting him to 24, two clear of Lang with Sugars third on 20. Alford and Lang split the gong last season.
Jason Lee, who is sixth among metropolitan drivers, leads the Muir Equine Supplies Concession Driver of the Year race with 66 wins, but Mark Pitt (62) is rising quickly.
Warren Cochrane and Kima Freening are tied on top of the Aldebaran Park Monte Rider of the Year premiership with 21 wins apiece, just one win clear of Haley Toulmin with Ben Aubron (18 wins) third.
CLICK HERE FOR THE TOP 10 IN THE TRAINER, DRIVER AND SIRE STANDINGS
Media enquiries:
Michael Howard (HRV Media/Communications Co-Ordinator)
t: 03 8378 0286 | e: mhoward@hrv.org.au | tw: @MichaelRHoward
