All seven runners in a race at Kyneton on Thursday were ridden by female apprentice jockeys.
This was a highly unusual statistic for a Victorian provincial race meeting.
It arose due to the scratching of two horses that were to be ridden by male jockeys.
Old timers at Kyneton said they could not recall a race being run at the course with all female riders (not counting races that may have had this specific condition to be a ‘women only’ race).
It was Kyneton and Hanging Rock’s annual Christmas Party Race Day, with favourable conditions and a bumper 10-event program.
The race with seven females aboard their mounts was the $35,000 RMBL Investments Rising Stars Race, over 1454 metres.
Savamoon, from the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman stable at Pakenham, started a short-priced favourite and was ridden by their apprentice Emily Pozman.
Pozman, a 27-year-old, grew up with considerable show jumping and eventing experience before deciding to tackle thoroughbred racing.
By the time you read this she should have topped 500 race rides, and attributes much of her riding improvement in the past year to Moody.
Four-year-old gelding Savamoon was having his 14th start and scored his third race win. It was the 67th for Pozman.
The outcome was never in double with Pozman positioning the favourite ideally in the run to eventually win by nearly two lengths from Kyneton hope Luvya Mumma, having her first run since July 5 at Flemington.
Luvya Mumma, trained by Liam Howley, ran on to finish second with stable apprentice Danica Munro in the saddle.
Munro’s major successes have been aboard multiple Country Cups winner Station One.
Howley also had minor placings on Thursday with Siam Emerald and Donegal Soul.
Many years ago women jockeys were a rarity on Australian race tracks. How things have changed.
Michelle Payne’s history making win in the Melbourne Cup 10 years ago aboard 100/1 chance Prince of Penzance helped stimulate interest in women making race riding a career.
Highly credentialed Jamie Melham, originally from South Australia, became the second female to win Australia’s greatest drawcard race last month.
Payne and older brother Paddy trained Falset Star, ridden by Billy Egan, to win one of the six Maiden Plates at Kyneton.
Racing is one of those rare sports where males and females compete for the same prize money.
More than 80 per cent of young riders seeking to become apprentices are females, according to Victorian Jockeys Association CEO Matthew Hyland.
He said recently that jockeys usually came to the sport through family connections and childhood hobbies.
In-form Jamie Mott scored a treble at Kyneton with polished displays aboard Millennium Blade, Alpine Fox and the heavily supported Viasian.
Kyneton and Hanging Rock Racing Club is now preparing for its drawcard holiday meetings at the famous Hanging Rock on New Year’s Day and Australia Day.
