Apprentice Rochelle Milnes made up for lost time with a double on Finals Day at Morphettville last Saturday, re-establishing a two-win buffer at the top of the Adelaide jockeys’ premiership after missing the previous Saturday when volcanic ash left her stranded in Bali. 
Milnes brought up her first success when four-year-old gelding Tippa ($6) completed a hat-trick by winning the 2500-metre final of the Skybeau Series. 
Tippa is trained at Strathalbyn by Shayne and Chelsea Cahill, who were full of praise for the gelding and will now spell him ahead of an autumn black-type campaign.
Milnes completed her double when Cararada ($8) won the benchmark 68 final of the Viddora Series for fillies and mares over 1200 metres. 
Prepared locally by John Hyam, Cararada came from worse than midfield to beat favourite Super Alana by three-quarters of a length. 
Milnes’s closest pursuer on the premiership table is Lachlan Neindorf, but he’s off on a “holiday” of his own.
Neindorf led all the way on last-start winner Sir Sway ($5) for Naracoorte co-trainers Sue and Jason Jaensch in the 1200-metre final of the Gytrash Series, but later pleaded guilty to careless riding at the 800 metres, shifting in when insufficiently clear of Lovely Lookin’. He was banned for five meetings.
Sir Sway is likely have a freshen-up before a tilt at the listed Christmas Handicap (1200m) at Morphettville on December 28.
Taylor swoops
The other appretnice to notch a winner on Finals Day was Taylor Johnstone, who is now under the guidance of Victoria Derby-winning trainer Andrew Gluyas.
Johnstone kept up her good run since arriving in SA from Tasmania when she brought the Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained Karavas ($5.50) from near last to win the Rebel Raider Series Final for three-year-olds over 1200 metres. 
The win was Johnstone’s 15th from 155 SA rides since making the move in June.
Doubles all round at Strath
Local co-trainers Greg Lesnikowski and Ryan Hannemann combined with jockey Anna Jordsjo for a race-to-race double at Strathalbyn on Sunday, winning a 1350-metre maiden with Navigli ($7) and a 2050-metre Class 1 with Spec Raider ($8.50).
Apprentice Alana Livesey rewarded followers with wins at double-figure odds in the next two races, on the Dylan Caboche-trained House Spouse ($26) in 0-56 company over 2050 metres and on the Gordon Richards and Damien Moyle-trained Chartin ($18) in the 0-58 Montogomerie/Forrest Series heat over 1550 metres.
Goolwa-based David Jolly shared the training honours with the Lesnikowski/Hannemann team, winning a 1550-metre maiden with Lady Skylla ($2.35 favourite) and the benchmark 72 Vignerons Cup (1350m) with Limited Risk ($4.60 favourite). 
Justin Potter and Rochelle Milnes were the winning riders.

The Gawler-based family training trio of Gary and Nichole Searle and Brianna Callanan were the stars at Gawler on Wednesday with a race-to-race double, scoring with Gruelling ($2.45 favourite) in a 1500-metre Class 1 and Amelia Valentina ($6.50) in a 1200-metre Class 1.
Apprentice Alan Lai and Jacob Opperman were the winning riders.
A couple of cups
Two country clubs open their season over the weekend. Saturday sees the non-TAB Ceduna club in the state’s west stage its Thevenard Cup meeting, where the 1600-metre feature is the first heat of the Bill Holland Series.
On Sunday in the Mid North region it’s Jim Barry Clare Valley Cup day, with the feature over 1800 metres.