Trainer Lindsay Hatch would love to see Angela Jones win Battle Of The Bush and Group 1 Tatt’s Tiara at Eagle Farm

Lindsay Hatch is hoping Angela Jones can salute on his gelding Peshwa in the Battle Of The Bush final before winning her first Group 1 in the Tatt’s Tiara.

Toowoomba trainer Lindsay Hatch would love nothing more than to see his former protege Angela Jones win a double on Saturday at Eagle Farm - firstly for him in the Battle Of The Bush final and then for her current boss Tony Gollan in the Group 1 Tatt’s Tiara.

Jones, 24, will ride gelding Peshwa in the $200,000 Battle Of The Bush final (1200m) and high-flying mare Floozie in the $700,000 Tatt’s Tiara (1400m) in which she hopes to land her first major crown.

Jones joined Hatch’s stable straight after school and learnt her craft at various bush and provincial tracks before finally making the transition to Gollan’s stable at Eagle Farm.

She now sits second on the Brisbane metro jockeys’ premiership standings on 56 wins, just three behind leader Emily Lang, setting up a thrilling fight for the title.

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Jones will ride consistent five-year-old Peshwa in the Battle Of The Bush final from barrier 12, with $116,000 going to the winning connections.

“She walked into my stable and she’d never ridden in a jockey’s hat in a race,” Hatch said about the Charters Towers product.

Lindsay Hatch (left) and jockey Angela Jones at Toowoomba in March 2022. Picture: Nev Madsen

“Ang Jones is a beautiful person, she listens to what you tell her and she does her best to follow instructions.

“She’s very relaxed and that filters through to the horse she jumps on.

“She was never in a hurry and that’s what has kept her in good stead.

“On her first day of riding she rode three winners at Dalby. She started to cry after the first win and then she cried all day because of the success she had. She couldn’t believe it.”

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Hatch took over the training of the much travelled Peshwa from Ben Waldron in July last year.

The gelding has finished top three in seven of his past eight races, with the aberration being his last-start ninth at Gayndah in a 1400m race on June 7.

“He’s been a pretty handy horse. We don’t know what to make of his last run, he was a bit flat but he’s done well since,” Hatch said.

“He’ll be hard to beat on Saturday.

“I’ll tell you what, he’s a very good-looking horse. He’s nearly white, he’s a grey to white.

Peshwa scoring at Sale in 2022.

“He prances around like he owns the joint too. He’s a lovely horse.”

The 17-race Battle Of The Bush series, now in its seventh edition, started in Goondiwindi in April and culminates in the final on Tatt’s Tiara Day at Eagle Farm.

“I think it’s a great concept,” Hatch said.

“It gives the bush people and bush owners a chance to get into town and have a crack at some decent money.

“Peshwa would probably struggle to be a chance in a no-metro or a one-metro in Brisbane where he’s a good shot in this sort of race.”

Originally published as Trainer Lindsay Hatch would love to see Angela Jones win Battle Of The Bush and Group 1 Tatt’s Tiara at Eagle Farm