Lisa Allpress breathed life into the New Zealand jockeys' premiership with a stunning four-win haul at Waverley yesterday.
Michael McNab started yesterday with a 104-91 lead in the premiership, a comfortable 13 clear with eight weeks of the season to go.
But he went winless at the Waverley meeting transferredfrom Whanganui while Allpress won four races including both listed features and the open sprint.
She combined with trainer Allan Sharrock to snare the Castletown Stakes on juvenile filly Sophmaze and the open sprint with Darci La Bella before the friends became foes as Allpress rode Amusez Moi to down the Sharrock-trained Justaskme in the $60,000 weight-for-age 1600m.
With the margin down to nine, it would only take another day like Saturday before the race is on.
Allpress has, when winning premierships in the past, been a regular at South Island meetings, and if she gets within five or so wins of McNab and starts travelling south, it could persuade McNab, who has never won a premiership, to do the same.
McNab was as short at $1.05 for the title two weeks ago but the TAB now has the premiership a two-rider race priced at $1.20 for McNab and $4 for Allpress.
Allpress was the star of the domestic racing day but Kiwi juvenile Sharp 'N' Smart almost pulled off a winning Australian debut in a A$130,000 The Phoenix at Eagle Farm in Brisbane.
The Team Rogerson-trained gelding flew home for rider Hugh Bowman to only miss catching hot favourite Political Debate by a nose, suggesting the step up to 1600m in the Group 1 JJ Atkins next Saturday will suit him perfectly.
There was little joy for the rest of the New Zealand-trained horses at Eagle Farm but the A$700,000 Queensland Oaks was won by favourite Gypsy Goddess, a huge result for South Auckland-based stallion Tarzino, quickly establishing himself as one of the most promising sires of young stayers in this part of the world.
