Irish born Apprentice Emily Finnegan has been crowned Dux of the UBET Apprentice Academy after a fantastic year which saw her win 56 races including 32 in the Metropolitan area.
The Dux Award caps off a memorable year for Finnegan who also took out the South Australian Metropolitan Apprentice of the Year Award and the Leon Macdonald Apprentice of the Year at the Thoroughbred Racing SA Industry Awards earlier this year.
The highlight of Finnegan's year was her win on the Will Clarken trained Split Lip in the Listed Dequetteville Stakes in April, her second career Stakes win. Finnegan now has over 200 career wins and she only needs three more Metropolitan wins to outride her Apprentice Claim.
Along with taking out the Dux Award, Finnegan also won the Caitlin Forrest Memorial Award, the Best Winning Strike Rate Award and received a Special Achievement Award for her Listed win on Split Lip. Her boss Phillip Stokes was also awarded the Master of Dux of the UBET Apprentice Academy Award.
Runner Up Dux Zac Spain also had a great year with two Metropolitan wins in Melbourne aboard the Lloyd Kennewell trained Jennyfromtheblock and Anaheim from the Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young Stable. Spain moved to Melbourne on a loan to the Busuttin & Young stable in July and has since transferred his apprenticeship to the Cranbourne based trainers. Since being based in Victoria he has ridden winners for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, Brent Stanley and Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young.
Raquel Clark took out the SA Racehorse Owners Association Award along with a Special Achievement Award for riding the first four winners on the Morphettville card in June along with winning the Listed Newmarket Handicap at Launceston aboard I'm Wesley earlier this month.
New comers Kayla Crowther and Alice Lindsay also took home awards with Crowther winning the Rising Star Award and the Best Place Strike Rate while Lindsay was awarded the Minister for Racing - Endeavour & Sportsmanship Award for her commitment to her new career.
For taking out this year's Dux Award, Emily Finnegan will spend two weeks' race riding in Singapore while Dux Runner-Up Zac Spain will spend two weeks with the Hong Kong Jockey Club Apprentice School where he will have the opportunity to ride track work and live in the jockey's compound at Sha Tin.This prize is a brand new initiative between Thoroughbred Racing SA and the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Full List of Winners
Classroom Peers Award – Lachlan Neindorf
Media Award – Justin Huxtable
SA Racehorse Owners Association Award – Raquel Clark
Simone Montgomerie Encouragement Awards – Anna Jordsjo
Caitlin Forrest Memorial Award – Emily Finnegan
Most Winners in Academy Year – Victor Wong
Longest Priced Winner – Jemma Frew
Best Place Strike Rate – Kayla Crowther
Best Winning Strike Rate – Emily Finnegan
Rising Star - Junior Apprentice Award – Kayla Crowther
Special Achievement Awards – Zac Spain, Emily Finnegan, Raquel Clark
Minister for Racing - Endeavour & Sportsmanship Award – Alice Lindsay
Runner Up Dux – Zac Spain
Dux of the UBET Apprentice Academy– Emily Finnegan
Master of Dux of the UBET Apprentice Academy – Phillip Stokes