DITTMAN'S FIRST DOUBLE 07/01/08

Rising star apprentice Luke Dittman landed his first double at Rockhampton on Friday 4^th January. 

Dittman, who was riding at the track for the first time displayed great skill beyond his years when he had the Garnett Taylor trained Emmatay Lane positioned on the fence just behind the leaders. On straightening when the other runners fanned Dittman drove his mount up on the inside and went on to score an impressive win. 

Fortune momentarily deserted Luke in the next race when his mount the short priced favourite Beautiful Mary was scratched at the barriers. However this was short lived as the very next race he guided the Stuart Kendrick trained Power City to a convincing victory from a wide barrier and with topweight. 

The next day Luke followed up where he left off with a win aboard What about Brownie and two second placings at Ipswich. 

Luke who is still only 16 has come along way in a very short time and with the likes of his master Maryann Thexton, Alan Bailey, Bryan Guy, Helen Page, etc., using his 3 kilos claim he is destined for a bright future in the saddle. 

TM RETURNS AFTER EQUINE INFLUENZA 18/12/07

After a 3 month enforced holiday, TM is very excited to be back and racing again. There has been a few changes during this period to the TM ranks.

Danny Beasley has taken up a contract in Singapore and we wish him well. Brent Stanley remains in Macau and continues to ride plenty of winners. Pat Murphy chased an opportunity in WA and continues to ride well and we expect his return in the New Year. Kathy O'Hara returned from a brief stint in New Zealand and has already chalked up winners at Kembla and Wyong. Adrian Coome flew the TM flag in Nth QLD during EI but recently injured his hand which will see him out of action till the New Year. Daniel Griffin returned to riding where he left off with winners at Murwillumbah and the Gold Coast with Kevin Forrester chiming in with a winner at Murwillumbah and placings in town. Scotty Galloway couldn't have asked for a better return from injury guiding the Trevor Bailey trained Little Imp to victory in his first ride back at the Gold Coast. Joe Bowditch continues to recover from a broken leg and wrist sustained in a fall at he last Gold Coast meeting prior to the EI lockdown. Hopefully a full recovery is on the cards and it won't be long before Joe is back in the saddle. more...
____________

Coome Finishes Top 3 with Beadman 11/08/07
Exciting apprentice Adrian Coome finished a close third overall on the 2006/2007 Jockey’s strike rate ladder in Australia with 20% winners to starters behind Champion hoop Darren Beadman (25.6%) and Shane Scriven (20.4%). 

Another amazing statistic was Adrian finished second overall in the Australian apprentice’s ranks with 116 winners just 5 behind Sebastian Murphy and 5 ahead of Sydney’s leading apprentice Tye Angland, not bad considering Adrian had 314 less rides than Murphy and 364 less than Angland. 

Coome’s astonishing season included the only apprentice in Australia to win two senior and apprentice premierships (Rockhampton and Mackay) and is certainly favourite to take out Queensland’s Apprentice of the year award ahead of Ric McMahon at Queensland Racing Industry Awards on Friday 17^th August. more...
____________

Griffin & Palmer Claim Premierships 01/09/07
Congratulations to TM jockeys at the Gold Coast with Daniel Griffin winning the Jockeys' premiership with an impressive 67 winners, whilst Michael Palmer took out the Apprentices' title with 29 winners.

Griffins tally was one of the best by a jockey at the Gold Coast in one season, bettered only by Ken Russell's 76 winners in 1980-81, Scott Galloway's 69 winners in 1999-00 and a 68 win haul by Chris Whiteley in 2003-04.

Not to be outdone, Michael Palmer's haul of 29 winners to win the apprentices' title and finish third overall, is the third best tally by an apprentice behind champion jockey Michael Rodd's tally of 41 winners in 2000-01 and Paul Hammersley's 31 winners in 2001-02. more...
____________

Longshot Joe on Fire 17/06/07

Leading Brisbane jockey, Joe Bowditch has been the bookie's best friend in recent weeks with a spate of long priced winners and securing a top five finish in the Brisbane Jockeys Premiership.

The first of the winners was Alternate at Doomben on 11th June which paid $30 followed by Alpha Boy paying $19. It was then off to Ipswich where Joe saluted on Lesmartre in the listed Gai Waterhouse Classic paying a whopping $42 dividend. The final nail in the punters coffin was aboard the Harold Cox trained outsider Midnight Surprise which paid $65!
____________

Danny Does It With A Double 12/06/07

It has been a very quiet and frustrating period for champion jockey Danny Beasley and by his own admission possibly the toughest time he has had in the saddle.

Danny has always been one of the leading riders in the country, but the past 6 months have been what they say as "Character Building" but champions always bounce back.

Coming off a timely winner last Saturday at Randwick aboard the Guy Walter trained Ollie Vollie, Danny ventured to Canterbury on Wednesday with a sound book of rides and managed to ride a double in the final 2 races. The first of those was the Max Crockett trained Life's Too Short and backed it up when he steered the ever consistent mare Cloudygaze to victory for Warwick Farm mentor Rod Craig who Danny has formed a successful combination with over the years.

TM would like to congratulate Danny on this timely double and it's great to see him back in the winners list where he belongs.
 

GRIFFIN'S ON THE MARK 18/02/08

Exciting gelding Borsha’s Mark showed why he was a short price favourite in the Seppelt Wines QTIS 3YO Handicap 1200m at Eagle Farm on Saturday, February 16.

Fast away from the inside barrier, Borsha’s Mark settled behind the leader but as soon as he got clear to the outside at the 200m he shot away into the straight for a clear lead of one and three quarter lengths ahead of Conquering Spirit. Regal Castanea (Scott Galloway) ran home strongly for third.

Trainer Les Kelly was pleased with the performance. “We anticipated that to win the race we’d have to get out about five or six horses off the fence and that worked out fine. He looked to be really travelling well a long way from home.”

All three of his wins have come with Daniel Griffin in the saddle. “They go well together so we’re quite happy to stick with him while we’re still winning,” said Kelly.

“There’s another race in two weeks time at Eagle Farm over 1200m, I think it’s a Quality Plate, $100,000 race. That’s what we’re looking to next” said Kelly.