Newcastle's Louise Day has her sights set on the Sydney apprentice premiership next season after adding to her already stellar finish to the 2019-20 campaign.
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Day, who has three rides at Wyong on Friday to end her season, had her first winning treble at any meeting when she steered the Bjorn Baker-trained Matowatakpe and Joe Pride pair of Brutality and Threeood to victory at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
The Irishwoman backed it up with a win on the Pride-trained Silent Agenda at Hawkesbury on Thursday. The victory took her to 50 for the season in NSW. She also had a city win in Queensland with Quality Seeker for former boss Ciaron Maher in March.
The 25-year-old was having an average season before gambling with a move to the metropolitan zone, which required two weeks' quarantine, during COVID-19 restrictions on jockeys in May.
The bold switch paid off for the three-kilogram claimer, even after the easing of restrictions last month. Her treble on Wednesday took her to 10 wins for the season in Sydney.
"I've never actually ridden a treble anywhere, so the first-ever treble, which was terrific," Day said.
"I had a really good book of rides and they were small fields. I think I was on better horses in most of the races so I just decided to keep them out of trouble and they did the job.
"I guess with racing you can work as hard as you want, but you need the results and some opportunities to help you along the way. It's taken a while but going to town when we had to zone up was just a good breakthrough for me and I'm starting to get some really nice rides now. It's been great."
With Robbie Dolan riding out his claim, a new champion Sydney apprentice will be crowned next season and Day had the title in her sights.
"I know the carnival is just around the corner, but I really want to win the premiership in town," she said.
"I've got a bit of competition because obviously Tom Sherry has just started riding there and he really annihilated everyone at the provincials, but if I can get any bit of a head-start on him before the carnival, that would be great.
"That's my main goal for the season, just get better, and I'd love to get an opportunity in some of the bigger races in the spring."
As for the last day of the season at Wyong, Day said the Clarry Conners-tranined Kariba was her main hope, in race six.
"She ran a good race last start in town and comes back to the provincials, so she's probably my best chance," she said.
Lees, meanwhile, will on Friday be celebrating his first NSW premiership. The top Newcastle trainer has 193 wins in NSW this season to lead Chris Waller (179.5).
AAP: Also on Wednesday, lightly raced Royal Banquet stepped up to midweek city grade to give emerging Newcastle trainer Nathan Doyle his first metropolitan winner at Warwick Farm.
The rising four-year-old gelding made it four wins from five career starts, and three victories from as many starts this preparation since joining Doyle's stable, when he revelled in the heavy conditions to take out the 1400m benchmark 70 handicap.
It followed wins in a Scone class one and a Newcastle class two in his previous starts this winter.
With Lee Magorrian aboard, the $2.45 favourite drew clear over the concluding stages to defeat Eden Vale by 5-1/4-lengths.
"Every time we step him out he keeps improving," Doyle told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
"He was quite an anxious horse when he first got to us and he's still very raw and new. It's just such a relief to get the first city win on the board."
