Angela Jones creates Queensland racing history as first female to win metro jockeys' premiership
Jones went into the meeting on 66 victories, two ahead of her nearest rival Emily Lang (64), in a thrilling battle that went right down to the last metropolitan meeting of the 2025-26 season.
But Rockhampton-raised Lang was unable to bridge the gap on Wednesday, handing the coveted crown to her good mate Jones, with none of the pair saluting going into the final race of the day.
Lang has picked up the consolation prize of emphatically securing the Brisbane apprentice jockeys' crown, with Bailey Wheeler a distant second on 46 victories.
It was always going to be a monumental task for Lang to snatch the metro trophy from Jones given she needed to salute three times and hope that Jones finished the day with doughnut.
Even if Lang managed to tie the premiership race, Jones would have still won the title, in a quirky Racing Queensland rule, based on the number of her runner-up results.
Women's jockey pioneer Linda Jones was watching the racing at her Caloundra home on Wednesday when she suddenly realised 'I needed to be there' at Doomben to see history created.
'I've always been a huge supporter of the girls (Lang and Jones),' said Jones, who was the first woman to be granted a race licence in New Zealand in 1977.
'I just think it's fantastic. I was sitting there on the couch watching the races and I said to my husband Alan 'you know what, I'm going to go to the track because this is history'.
'They're going to win the jockeys' premiership and the apprentice premiership so that is amazing.'
Lang said Linda Jones and fellow women's jockey trailblazer Pam O'Neill had paved the way for women like her and Angela Jones to succeed.
'What Linda and Pam have done for riders like us in this day and age is incredible,' Lang said.
'They've cut all the red tape for us to do the job that we love. We wouldn't be in this position we are now without people like them.'
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The Australian
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