Kin's Classic catch has Jones primed for Group 1 breakthrough
Queensland jockey Angela Jones warmed up for her upcoming Group 1 assignment with a well-executed ride on Kin to take out the Gai Waterhouse Classic (1200m) at Ipswich on Saturday.
The impressive ride for powerhouse stable Goldolphin was another confidence boost for Jones as she hunts the first Group 1 of her career after going agonisingly close in the recent Kingsford Smith Cup when denied by a brilliant come-from-behind ride from superstar hoop James McDonald on Joliestar.
The victory also narrowed the gap in the metro jockeys' premiership race as Jones moved to 56 wins, just three behind Emily Lang, who triumphed earlier on The Right Way in a Benchmark 78 over 2500m.
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It is fitting that Jones won the $160,000 contest named in honour of racing royalty Gai Waterhouse given that the 24-year-old and Lang are dominating this year's Brisbane jockeys' premiership.
Jones said she was 'over the moon' that she could notch a win in the royal blue colours of Godolphin, with top trainer James Cummings about to end his long association with the racing giant before heading to Hong Kong next year.
READ: 'He's found his home': Flash Aah springs Ipswich Cup upset
She will ride Floozie in next Saturday's $700,000 Group 1 Tatt's Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm, where the Tony Gollan-trained mare is the second favourite at $4.60 behind Chris Waller's Firestorm ($3.60), which finished third behind Floozie in last week's Group 2 Dane Ripper.
Kin finished just under a length ahead of Countyourblessings ($21) and hot favourite Gerringong ($2.80), which was trapped wide for most of the race after starting from barrier 12.
'I'm very grateful to have rides on these colours, let alone on chances in Listed races,' Jones said about jumping aboard five-year-old mare Kin.
'I'm over the moon that I could get the job done and the blinkers really sharpened her up today.
'We had a beautiful run from a good gate and I thought my job was done when she was travelling so well in the early stages.
'Once I peeled out she had a beautiful turn-of-foot and she put them away quite impressively.'
Asked about the Tatt's Tiara, Jones said: 'Sometimes it slips my mind and then I think about it and realise that the (winter) carnival is still here and hopefully we can knock off that Group 1 this year, it'd be great.
'Hopefully we can keep the roll on.'
READ: 'That's their Melbourne Cup': Dolan delivers on Oughton in Eye Liner
Stable representative Camille Fitton described Jones' performance as 'the perfect ride'.
'Angela has been helping us out a lot and she deserved that win,' Fitton said.
'She does some gallops for us and some trips to the beach so we are happy that she got the win today.
'She had the perfect ride. We were thinking that she (Kin) would be sharper today but she just needed a little boost with blinkers and it just worked out really well for.'
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