Tony and Calvin McEvoy are celebrating a Balaklava Cup hat-trick after Winning Partner took the listed 1600-metre race for the second year in a row on Wednesday.
The McEvoys’ winning streak started with Brown Ben in 2019.
Winning Partner was coming off an eighth in an open handicap at The Valley but was expected to improve, backed in from $4.60 to start $3.20 favourite.
Winning Partner completed a double for jockey Barend Vorster, who scored earlier on Ultimate Addiction ($4 favourite) for Wayne Francis and Glen Kent in a 1050-metre maiden plate.
Vorster shared the riding honours with Paul Gatt, who won on Conquest of Tears ($2.10 favourite) for Marg Ruberry in a 2200-metre maiden and El Magnificence ($3.80 favourite) for Andrew Clarken in a benchmark 54 over 1050 metres.
Stubby double stretches lead
Jason Holder strengthened his early lead on the Adelaide jockeys’ title when he landed a double for co-trainers Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas at Morphettville last Saturday.
Holder has nine city wins to his name from the first five meetings of the season, placing him two clear of reigning premier Todd Pannell.
Holder brought up his first success when Manhatten Times ($9.50) powered home from last to take a benchmark 64 over 1200 metres, his second win in five starts.  
The Holder/Macdonald/Gluyas combination scored their second success when Star Status ($3.70 favourite) won from on the pace in the benchmark 64 over 1800 metres.
Kayla Crowther shared the riding honours with Holder, taking the last two races, and is third on the premiership table, one win behind Pannell.
Riding for the Caulfield stable of Mick Price and Michael Kent junior, Crowther guided $3.40 favourite Lombardo from a rearward position to win the benchmark 78 handicap over 1200 metres.   
The second leg of Crowther’s double came when she steered Point Blaze ($3.80) to a win in a benchmark 60 over 1200 metres.
A $38,000 purchase at an Adelaide yearling sale in 2019, the Shayne Cahill-trained Point Blaze came from the back half of the field to take her record to 11 starts for two wins, four minor placings and $62,990.
By rising-star stallion Shamus Award — who also produced last Saturday’s Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes winner Incentivise — Point Blaze looks an astute purchase.
Bookies battered
Punters were generally on the ball at Morphettville last Saturday with five favourites successful on the nine-race card and no winner starting in double figures.
Favourite backers got off to a painless start when Reflect The Stars won the opening 2500-metre benchmark 78 for Flemington trainer Danny O’Brien. Partnered by Todd Pannell and coming off three successive Melbourne metro placings, Reflect The Stars finished off strongly from midfield.
The bookies’ bleak start to the day continued when father-daughter training partners Richard and Chantelle Jolly produced $2.60 favourite Alleboom for an all-the-way win under Caitlin Jones in the benchmark 82 over 1050 metres. The four-year-old Spirit of Boom gelding now has five wins from 13 starts with $199,375 in prizemoney.
Brace for Ben
Apprentice Ben Price took the points at Sunday’s Oakbank meeting with a double, winning on the Barry Brook-trained Sasun ($3.20) and French Rock ($3.10) for David Jolly.
Head for Halidon
All roads will lead to Halidon, 144km east of Adelaide, this Sunday for the Mindarie-Halidon Cup, to be run over 1800 metres.