JACKIE Beriman, Patrick Moloney and Beau Mertens have an opportunity to swoop on the lead in the Racing Victoria apprentice jockey rising stars series in Ballarat.
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With series leader Jye McNeil not riding in the Wilson Medic One Rising Stars Benchmark Handicap 1000m, the trio is within striking distance of the top of the points table.
Beriman is sitting second and has the ride on the Henry Dwyer-trained Bel Show.
Although Bel Show failed to show out at his first run back from a break, the three-year-old did win in debut and should strip fitter for the outing.
Beriman will go to Sportsbet-Ballarat on high.
She saluted on the Peter Moody-trained Wild Fire ($5) against some of Ãustralia’s leading young jockeys in the National Apprentice Riders Benchmark70, 1200m, at Sandown Lakeside on Wednesday.
Beriman starts the day just five points behind McNeil, with another three back to Patrick Moloney.
Moloney rides Lil Bit Musky for Casterton trainer Ivan Nolte and will need to improve on her latest two starts in what will be her first visit to Ballarat.
Mertens will be in the saddle on Wee Mac for Jarrod McLean.
Ballarat trainers Barry and Glen James have top weight Money Chaser.
The four-year-old has been racing consistently well without winning, with a second and two thirds in his past five starts.
Money Chaser has been carrying big weights of 60kg-plus and will appreciate some relief with a 3kg claim by Brandon Stockdale to get him down to 57.5kg.
The James have utlising the services of Stockdale regularly since he landed a double for the stable at Burrumbeet on New Year’s Day.
Rising Stars leaderboard: Jye McNeil 36 points, 31 points - Jackie Beriman 31, Patrick Moloney 28, Tom Sadler 28, Beau Mertens 26, Regan Bayliss 24, Jordan Childs 22, Jake Bayliss 18, Katelyn Mallyon 18, Josh Cartwright 16, Jessica Payne 16, Nathan Punch 12, Dylan Dunn 12, Les Tilley 12, Aaron Mitchell 12, Brooke Sweeney 8, Nick Heywood 8, Brandon Stockdale 8, Harry Coffey 7, Kayla Nisbet 6, Luke Londregan 6, Jason Collins 6, Lisa Whelan 4, Kyle Maskiell 4, Carryn Downie 1, Boris Thornton 1, Chris Caserta 1, Damien Thornton 1, Kieran Shoemark 1
DARREN Weir has reached 150 winners in Victoria for the season.
A double at Terang on Monday and another success with Princess Hussey ($3.50 favourite) in The Cove Hotel Benchmark70 Handicap, 1600m, at Sandown Lakeside on Wednesday took him past the mark.
With only seven months of the season gone, Weir is well on target to eumlate his career best of 153 wins nationally and 244 in Victoria achieved last season.
DYNAMIC Balance smashed an 18-month winning drought in emphatic fashion at Terang on Monday.
The Dan O’Sullivan-trained mare produced a scintillating finishing burst to score a decisive victory in the Genetics Australia 0-58 Handicap, 1850m.
Her success was the first since a maiden win at Ballarat in September 2013.
Dynamic Balance’s win comes at her sixth start this campaign and after a down-the-track finish at Ballarat in mid February. Before that, she had turned in good performances at Stawell (fourth) and Great Western (second).
The horse’s record now stands at two wins and six placings from 17 career runs, with more than $30,000 in prizemoney.
