TAB bookmakers have put up the white flag and are paying out on Lisa Allpress winning the National Jockeys' premiership.
A double aboard Happy Star and Penelope Cruise at Awapuni on Saturday put her 12 wins clear of nearest rival Kozzi Asano with just two weeks and seven meetings leftin a season tipped upside down by the pandemic.
Allpress is delighted to sit atop the premiership once again, the fourth time in a career that began back in the 1995-96 season when she began an apprenticeship with Kevin Gray.
Over the ensuing 24 years she has amassed 1593 New Zealand victories along with over 100 international wins from riding stints in Singapore, Japan and most recently a history- making victory in Saudi Arabia during an international invitational series in March, where she became the first female jockey to win in the Kingdom.
Despite her premiership success this season Allpress is adamant that wasn't her priority from the start.
"I just kept whacking away and managed to get on some nice horses that kept winning."
Allpress was back in action at Timaru yesterday where a brilliant winning quartet aboard the Terri Rae-trained Painted Red, Scarfi, Hatrick Boys and Newmarket extended her lead over Asano to 15 after the apprentice won on Reliably Perky earlier in the day.
