It may well be the first time on record that an all-female group of jockeys has contested a Queensland race meeting, however, it’s not the first time they have swept the card.
Earlier this year, female hoops took out the entire eight-race card at Emerald in April, with Elyce Smith prominent once again, accounting for six of those triumphs.
In the process, the 22-year-old equalled the national record for most wins by a female jockey on the one card, sharing the feat with Jade McNaught who rode a six of her own in Perth last year.
The emergence of female jockeys in Queensland was emphasised earlier this year at a meeting in Kilcoy, where there were twice as many women as their male counterparts riding.
It is believed to be the first time women riders have outnumbered men at a major Queensland TAB meeting.
“It’s great to see how many females are coming through the ranks; it’s really good that we were all given that opportunity and that the trainers wanted us to be on those rides,” Smith said.
“I think that there’s been a massive change in mindset that females aren’t seen as the inferior gender when it comes to race riding, and trainers and owners are starting to see that we have qualities that we can put into horses that maybe the boys can’t – and vice versa.
“It’s because of other women like Jamie Kah as well, they help us in the regional areas by achieving what they are doing in the big city and on the big stage – it makes people take note.”