EVANS LANDS FIFTH TITLE FOR THE SEASON

By Graham Potter | Saturday, August 1, 2009

Apprentice jockey Brent Evans clinched his fifth Premiership title of the season when he outpunched Shane Scriven on the final day at Ipswich to score a points verdict by the narrowest of margins.

Evans already had four titles in his pocket when he made the trip from Melbourne to take up the last remaining challenge of the 2008/09 season.

The Brisbane Metropolitan Apprentice Jockey’s Premiership, both the Jockey and Apprentice Jockey Premierships at Toowoomba and the Apprentice title at Ipswich all belonged to Evans. The only piece of unfinished business was the Jockey’s Premiership at Ipswich.

Shane Scriven was also looking to wrap up with a multiple Premiership triumph. He’d secured the Brisbane Metropolitan Premiership and was looking to add a second title to his honour roll for the season.

Going into the final day Evans and Scriven topped the ladder with seventeen wins apiece. An important factor in play was the number of seconds each rider had against their name. If Evans and Scriven finished level on the number of wins at the end of the day, the rider who had more second placings would land the Premiership. Going into the day, Scriven was, wait for it, half a second placing ahead of Evans. (Scriven had dead-heated for second placing on Romac’s Express in the last race at Ipswich last week).

And so to the final day shoot-out.

Ipswich Race 1: The Championship leaders mark time. Neither has a ride.

Ipswich Race 2: Evans has no ride. Shane Scriven partners the $1.28 favourite Gigandra to victory. The gelding wins every bit as easily as his price suggested he would. Scriven is one-up with six left to play.

Ipswich Race 3: Evans had no ride. Scriven finishes unplaced.

Ipswich Race 4: Scriven has no ride. Evans partners the $2.60 favourite In A Bind and he makes no mistake on the Laurie Richardson trained gelding. The Championship contenders are once again level on number of wins for the season at eighteen apiece.

Ipswich Race 5: Evans and Scriven are not in action. The status-quo remains.

Ipswich Race 6: Scriven has no ride. Evans finishes second aboard Zekeza. It is an important result because it means there is a swing in the Championship equation. The two riders are still level on wins, but Evans’ total of second placings now surpasses that of Scriven by half a point. If neither rider can win in the last two races, the Premiership will go to Evans.

Ipswich Race 7: Both contenders are involved in the action. Neither add to their claims. Scriven finishes fourth. Evans finishes eleventh.

Ipswich Race 8: Evans has no ride. All he can do is sit and watch and wait as Scriven has one last throw of the dice for the Premiership in the final race on the final day of the season. Scriven rides he Liam Birchley trained Ella Marie. A win or a second placing would give Scriven the Ipswich Jockeys Premierhip. Otherwise the congratulations would go to the young man watching on the sidelines.

Ella Marie finishes unplaced.

The title goes to Brent Evans.

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