Apprentice hoop Rochelle Milnes lands another metro treble at Morphettville

Rochelle Milnes collected a metro treble and soared to the top of the Adelaide jockeys’ premiership with an impressive riding display at Morphettville on Saturday.

Apprentice jockey Rochelle Milnes celebrates a treble aboard Santastico at Morphettville on Saturday. Picture: Makoto Kaneko

Rochelle Milnes collected a metro treble and soared to the top of the Adelaide jockeys’ premiership with an impressive riding display at Morphettville on Saturday.

The apprentice hoop booted home winners aboard Sixteen Reasons, Cararada and Santastico, putting an exclamation mark on an already significant weekend that saw her make her Victorian debut at The Valley on Friday night.

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Sixteen Reasons was the launching pad for Milnes’ winning afternoon, charging home for a last to first victory in a Benchmark 82 (1050m).

“She was really good today,” Milnes said post-race.

“I felt like I’d cuddled her enough (and) there was going to be a lot there, once I’d popped off heels I could just let her see daylight the whole way down the straight, she just improved in a way that you thought you had a lot there.

“I had an awesome time (at The Valley), it was an amazing experience, to come home and do what I know now, it’s really good to pick up one and for people that have supported me it’s even better.”

It was the fourth-career win for Sixteen Reasons, trained by Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea, and the premiership winners have had 100 reasons to celebrate since joining forces, with the mare securing their 100th win as a training duo.

Sixteen Reasons reels them in with this huge run from the outside! 🔥@Clarken_Racingpic.twitter.com/atRqYSb6Iy

— Racing.com (@Racing) October 5, 2024

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Despite a consistent record, wins had eluded Sixteen Reasons since back-to-back victories in September last year, but the addition of blinkers along with a drop back in distance (1250m to 1050m) was a winning formula.

“That was impressive to be honest. She’s so consistent, she’s always finishing second and people knock her, (saying) ‘she’s not trying, this and that’,” O’Shea said.

“She runs well over any trip, we dropped her back again and she was really good, credit to the horse.”

Milnes continued to show she had the hot hand with recurrent placegetters before steering Cararada to victory in race seven for John Hyam.

It was the mare’s second win from 23 starts, after accumulating nine runner-up finishes.

Another highly sought-after win came early on the card, with Athanatos breaking his maiden in a Benchmark 68 (1600m) in race two.

Lachlan Neindorf steers Athanatos to victory at Morphettville on Saturday. Picture: Makoto Kaneko

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The gelding had registered six placings in his first seven starts for the Phillip Stokes stable, and led all the way on Saturday, holding off a plucky Goldrush Guru.

It was the first win of a riding double for talented hoop Lachlan Neindorf, who also steered Lomax to a come-from-behind win in race four for trainer Paul Carey.

Artful Tawny ($19) produced the upset result of the day in a 0-62 Handicap (1200m). The gelding overhauled Limited Risk in the final 50m for Dion and Raygan Koch under the riding of Ben Price.

Motorace was an impressive winner in the final race on the nine-event card.

The ex-Hayes gelding won on stable debut for Michael Hickmott under a good ride from Todd Pannell.

Milnes now leads the Adelaide jockeys’ premiership with 11 wins, over Kayla Crowther, who has nine.

Originally published as Apprentice hoop Rochelle Milnes lands another metro treble at Morphettville