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By Greg Prichard

Apprentice jockey Mollie Fitzgerald has stormed to the top of the country jockeys’ premiership after an extraordinary weekend on which she rode seven winners and there is the potential for more success at Taree on Tuesday.

Fitzgerald has five rides on the seven-race card and whilst none of them are pre-post favourites they range from odds of $6.50 to $12 on TAB so there is plenty of value available if she can continue on her recent winning ways.

After riding three winners, a second and a third at Bowraville on Saturday, Fitzgerald did even better at Armidale on Sunday.

Mollie Fitzgerald - has five nice rides at Taree on Tuesday. Image by Bradley Photographers

There she rode four winners, a second - beaten by the barest of margins - and a third including an $10 winner.

The haul took Fitzgerald to the top of the country jockeys’ premiership with 26 wins, one ahead of Nick Heywood with Ben Looker a further three wins behind in third place.

Fitzgerald also has a whopping 16 wins more than the nearest apprentice on the country list.

And on the NSW jockeys’ premiership she is in second place, with the great James McDonald the leader on 32 wins.

There was also a big possibility of more winners to come for Fitzgerald ahead of the Taree meeting, with her booked for every race on the seven-race card at Grafton on Monday and some tremendous winning chances included.

Fitgerald is indentured to Taree trainer Tony Ball and will ride two of his horses at Tuesday’s meeting.

And Ball likes the chances of both gallopers - He’s A Copy Boy ($6.50 on TAB) in the Bakewell Haulage Benchmark 66 Handicap over 1614m and All Too Rosey ($8) in the Stacks Law Firm Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1412m.

“He’s A Copy Boy will run a good race,” Ball said. “He likes a firm track and he’s been working well.

“And All Too Rosey is doing plenty right at the moment, having won two of her last three. She’ll relish the 1400 with the rail out and she’ll roll forward from her good gate.”

Ball also warned that $11 chance Telegraph, a winner at Taree two starts back, was ready to be very competitive again in the final race of the day, the Taree Cup Calcutta at Club Taree 17 October Country Boosted Class 3 Handicap over 1007m.

“Telegraph has drawn wide, but I’m not worried about that because he prefers to be out there and not cluttered up between horses,” he said. “Luke Rolls is riding him and he’ll give the horse every chance.”

Ball said Fitzgerald continued to go ahead in leaps and bounds with her riding.

“She’s improving all the time and she just goes out there and gets the job done,” he said. “You don’t have to tell her too much.

“We made a little pact, Mol and I, before the start of the season. I said, ‘What’s your ambition for this season?’ and she said, “I haven’t really made one’, and I said, ‘I reckon you can ride 80 winners’.

“She’s well ahead of that rate at the moment. You’ve got to allow for the times when your luck is out, but the way she’s going she’s in for a great season.

“Our other apprentice at the stable, Leanne Boyd, is riding well too and continuing to learn a lot. The two girls have each got a great attitude.”

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Taree here