100 winners for Meech
19 Jun 2012 | Racing Victoria Ltd The often underrated Linda Meech has become the fourth Victorian jockey to ride 100 Australian winners this season following success at Wodonga on Tuesday.
Meech started the day with 99 wins (95 Victorian, 4 interstate) and had five live chances to notch the ton, but she didn’t require them doing so in the opening event aboard the Mat Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained debutant Lingo.
In a typically patient ride, Meech allowed Lingo ($6.50) to settle midfield with cover after jumping well from barrier 11 in the 1100m Two-Year-Old Maiden Plate.
She peeled out approaching the home turn and produced the colt for his effort at the 300m, proving too strong over the concluding stages to post a long neck victory on the line.
It is the third time in four years that Meech has ridden 100 winners in a season and she is within grasp of the best return of her career, after hauls of 111 in the 2008/09 season and 109 in 2009/10.
Meech sits fourth on the Victorian Jockeys’ Premiership with 96 winners, trailing tireless trio Craig Newitt (144 wins), Dean Yendall (122) and Brad Rawiller (115).
She is the only female rider to occupy a top 20 position on the nationwide premiership table, also headed by Newitt with 160 winners.
While her partnership with leading Victorian trainer Peter Moody, where she plays understudy to Luke Nolen, has netted her 36 wins, her commitment to travel long distances, including trips to Sydney, Adelaide and many provincial Victorian venues, has provided the bulk of her success.
The highlight of her season to date came last month when she won the Listed Laelia Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville aboard the unbeaten Peter Morgan-trained filly Lucky Penny.