Queensland jockey Angela Jones claims Ellerslie double in dream debut

Santa Catalina and visiting jockey Angela Jones were too good in the $250,000 QEII Cup at Ellerslie today. Photo / Kenton Wrigtht

Kiwi punters who fell in love with Queensland jockey Angela Jones at Ellerslie today may not have to wait long to see her back here.

The outstanding young rider says she would love to return for the Karaka Millions meeting if there is enough interest from trainers – and the way she rode today, that should be guaranteed.

Jones was having her first look at Ellerslie and yet claimed both the $250,000 Queen Elizabeth Cup on Santa Catalina and an $80,000 Rating 65 on Up The Anti.

That is one hell of an introduction to the home of Auckland racing but Jones admits she had an advantage over some other visiting riders making their Ellerslie debuts.

“In my first race I thought, ‘this is just like Eagle Farm”, she said with a smile.

Eagle Farm is the main track in Queensland and is not only right-handed like Ellerslie but tends to race similarly.

“That has definitely made it easier and I have really enjoyed being here,” Jones said.

“It is friendly and relaxed like back home but also really professional and I am so thankful for the owners and trainers who have put me on horses.

“I’d love to come back for the Karaka Millions. So if I can get some nice rides I will be here for sure.”

Santa Catalina continued the great record in our major staying races in recent years for trainers Peter and Shaun McKay, the McKay family sharing in the ownership of the mare with breeder Simms Davison of Mapperley Stud.

The five-year-old daughter of Puccini was backing up after finishing fifth in the Dunstan Stayers Final just six days ago, confirming the wisdom of the decision to move that race from New Year’s Day to Boxing Day to enable New Zealand’s emerging stayers to start in both.

Further proof of that move’s efficacy is the fact today’s QEII Cup runner-up Trust In You won both the Dunstan and then the QEII Cup two years ago.

Shaun McKay says Santa Catalina could now head to the Wellington Cup at Trentham in a month and even return for the Auckland Cup back at Ellerslie on March 7.

“We were probably known for a while as trainers of sprinters or milers but we have got a few more stayers around us now and we are enjoying it,” said Shaun McKay.

Earlier, filly Ohope Wins rocketed to the top of the NZ Derby market with a blazing win in the $270,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes.

The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained daughter of Ocean Park was a huge drifter out to $7.50 after opening at $2.80, but clearly she doesn’t read the markets, as she exploded down the centre of the track.

She gave jockey Joe Doyle the group race fillies double for the carnival after he also rode Tellum to win the Hallmark Stud Eight Carat Classic on Boxing Day.

The win was so emphatic that Ohope Wins is now the $5 favourite for the NZ Oaks, which has been moved to Ellerslie on February 21, while she also shares $11 favouritism for the NZ Derby, also at Ellerslie, on March 7.

Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.