Angela Jones receives praise from Rob Heathcote after bringing up 100 winners for season at Eagle Farm

It didn’t take long for Angela Jones to bring up her 100th win of the season at Eagle Farm with a ride that was hailed by trainer Rob Heathcote.

Angela Jones was all smiles as she returned to the winner’s stall on Amuseantes after reaching the 100-win milestone at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Picture: Trackside Photography

As star young Queensland jockey Angela Jones cracked her 100th winner for the racing season, trainer Rob Heathcote had the words of another top trainer ringing in his ears.

Jones, who hails from country Charters Towers and had her family watching trackside at Eagle Farm, produced a typically cool ride to score the first race on Amuseantes for Heathcote.

It didn’t take Jones long to raise the bat for her ton of national winners this season, after she started the day on 99.5 winners.

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After watching Jones produce an ice-cool ride to steer Amuseantes ($14) to victory in the QTIS 3YO Fillies Plate, Heathcote was full of superlatives.

“I heard Tony Gollan interviewed about Angela Jones maybe four or five months ago, when she had just given one of his horses a brilliant steer,” Heathcote said.

“Tony said something about Angela that has always stuck with me.

“He said that not only is she an enormous talent, she is a beautiful person.

“And that just comes through in her riding.

“She never panics, she never gets high anxiety and she is so patient and beautifully balanced.

“I mean look at that ride (on Amuseantes), she won that race for me.”

Angela Jones lands an early blow on Tattersall’s Tiara Day, slicing through the field aboard AMUSEANTES for Rob Heathcote. Could this be the start of a massive day for the rising star? 🏆 #QLDisRacingpic.twitter.com/R7bLCPBdYy

— RaceQ (@RaceQLD) June 28, 2025

Jones was thrilled to score her 100th winner, but it was a surprise to her that it came in the first race.

“This filly was one of the few maidens in the race, so I didn’t think she could win today,” Jones said.

“But she probably should have got her maiden out of the way by now and she did everything right today.”

Jones finished the day with three winners after taking out the Battle Of The Bush Final (1200m) on Peshwa and the Listed Tatt’s Gold Crown (2100m) with Miss Joelene.

Her treble gave her a one-win lead over Emily Lang in the race for the Brisbane jockeys’ premiership.

Trainer Rob Heathcote lauded Jones’s ride on Amuseantes to win the 3YO Fillies Plate at Eagle Farm. Picture: Trackside Photography

Meanwhile, James McDonald said he wished the Group 1 JJ Atkins was still to come after the dominant win of Chris Waller’s two-year-old colt Autumn Boy in the Listed Tatt’s Stakes (1400m).

The JJ Atkins has already been run and won – by Queensland colt Cool Archie – but McDonald is sure Autumn Boy would have been hard to beat if he had contested it.

Autumn Boy, a young son of former Group 1 champion The Autumn Sun, started favourite in the Tatt’s Stakes and didn’t have the easiest run but was still too good.

Autumn Boy 'leaves' them chasing in the Listed Tatt’s Stakes for the two-year-olds... and remains unbeaten! 🍂@cwallerracing@[e-mail]/9vc0y50A1n

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 28, 2025

McDonald is predicting the youngster can go onto big things in the spring after he made it two from two.

“He is a beautiful horse, he is lucky the JJ Atkins is not in another two weeks as he could have been winning that,” McDonald said.

“He is a very promising horse and he is only going to get better and better.”

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Mallyon lifts Manzoice to end long drought

Jockey Andrew Mallyon finished runner-up in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap a fortnight earlier, but he made it count on Tatt’s Tiara day when he broke a long run of outs for Manzoice.

Chris Waller-trained Manzoice hadn’t won since his Group 1 Victoria Derby triumph of 2022 and was sent out a $7 chance in the Group 3 Tatt’s Cup (2400m) in a six-horse staying race where he was the second roughest in betting.

Mallyon was wearing the Ukraine flag on his riding breeches, in a nod to the war-torn country which he has previously visited with great mate and fellow jockey Craig Williams to provide humanitarian support.

Autumn Boy 'leaves' them chasing in the Listed Tatt’s Stakes for the two-year-olds... and remains unbeaten! 🍂@cwallerracing@[e-mail]/9vc0y50A1n

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 28, 2025

He had to make do with second best in the Stradbroke where he rode $41 Queensland roughie Yellow Brick which ran on well behind War Machine.

But he wasn’t going to fall short in the Tatt’s Cup as five-year-old gelding Manzoice was cruising a long way out and sauntered up to his rivals and put a four and a half length winning margin on the board at Eagle Farm.

It has taken a long time but Manzoice was finally back in the winner’s stall and Mallyon said he would not be surprised if he continued on with it in the spring carnival.

The Tatt’s Cup is a race which has in the last decade been won by Melbourne Cup winner Vow and Declare (twice) and Caulfield Cup hero Incentivise.

“When I watched his replays, I thought he might’ve been the forgotten horse in this race,” Mallyon said.

Manzoice ended a long winning drought in the Tatt’s Cup at Eagle Farm. Picture: Trackside Photography

“He was always there or thereabouts without winning against some top stayers.

“He’s a nice relaxed customer and I knew he would stay the trip comfortably.

“He kept snaking ground up the inside and was really strong through the line and you’d like to think he’ll be pretty competitive in some spring staying races judging by that performance.”

Manzoice finished 19th in last year’s Melbourne Cup, won by Knight’s Choice, but another tilt at the big race on the first Tuesday in November could now be on the agenda.

“He deserves a spell now, then we’ll have a think about what we do with him in the spring,” Waller’s stable representative Charlie Duckworth said.

“There’s a pretty big two-mile race in Melbourne in early November, so we might have to have a crack at that.”

Banker’s Choice ($3.60) had led them up in the Tatt’s Cup and looked to be travelling well, but found one better in Manzoice.

Originally published as Angela Jones receives praise from Rob Heathcote after bringing up 100 winners for season at Eagle Farm