The strength of the female riding ranks in South Australia was on show again at Murray Bridge’s metro meeting last Saturday when women rode eight of the nine winners.
Apprentice Brooke King led the way with a double, both winners trained at Strathlbyn by Grant Kluske.
King opened her account when $3.10 equal favourite Isuspectjeu came from worse than midfield to win a benchmark 78 over 2000 metres. King and Kluske landed the second leg of their double when Gold Spirit ($1.90 favourite) led all the way in a 1200-metre benchmark 82.
Another highlight of the Bridge meeting was Tala Hutchinson landing her first metropolitan winner on Like A Drifter ($3.10 favourite) in a three-year-olds’ benchmark 68 over 1100 metres.
Trained locally by Daniel Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray, the gelding came from midfield with a strong run over the concluding stages to score the narrowest of wins over Victorian raider Redders.
Like A Drifter is undefeated from three starts this campaign — a Murray Bridge maiden, a Strathalbyn benchmark 58 and last Saturday’s event — with Hutchinson aboard each time.
The other women on the winners list at the Bridge were apprentices Taylor Johnstone, Alysha Warren and Caitlin Tootell, and senior riders Stacey Metcalfe and Kayla Crowther. 
The lone male to ride a winner was Todd Pannell, who prevented a Tala Hutchinson double by winning an 1100-metre benchmark 68 on My Zephyr ($13) for Geelong trainer Michael Shepherdson.
That was Pannell’s 29th SA metro winner for the season, placing him eight behind premiership leader Jason Holder and three behind second-placed Jacob Opperman.
Proud as punch
Alysha Warren’s Murray Bridge win on I Catchem Fox ($5 favourite) in a 1600-metre benchmark 76 for Telopea Downs trainer Darryl Dodson capped a memorable couple of days for the apprentice.
Warren had won at Mount Gambier’s Friday meeting on the Gary Boyce-trained Gazelle ($3.40) in a 1200-metre maiden, made all the more special for Warren as it was the first time her mother Judy had been on course to see her ride a winner.
Crowther’s cup
Another jockey to enjoy a big couple of days last Friday and Saturday was Kayla Crowther, who preceded her Murray Bridge victory by winning two races at the Mount including the cup.
Crowther won a 1200-metre benchmark 58 on $3.40 favourite Naralinga for Darryl Dodson, then guided Royal Mile ($8) from worse than midfield to victory in the $70,000 Mount Gambier Gold Cup (2050m).
Jacob Opperman shared the honours with Crowther at Mount Gambier, winning for his father Jamie on Supreme Thunder ($5.50) in 0-54 grade over 1400 metres and for another local trainer, Vanessa Hutchinson, on Scenic Host ($5.50) in 0-60 company over 1550 metres.
Plane trouble
The meeting scheduled for Port Augusta last Sunday had to be abandoned when the plane carrying race officials and jockeys from Adelaide was unable to land due to poor visibility.
Faithful servant
Adam Brewster retired last Saturday after 21 years as a barrier attendant in SA. An employee of the Phillip Stokes stable in Adelaide, he is relocating to the Stokes stable at Pakenham.
Head for Hawker
The Hawker Racing Club, in the Flinders Ranges 365km north of Adelaide, will stage its once-a-year non-TAB cup meeting on Saturday. The Hawker Cup (1750m) is heat one of the Outback Cups Series.