Taylor Johnstone moved within three wins of Rochelle Milnes at the top of the South Australia Metro Jockey Premiership with a double at Morphettville Parks on the weekend.
Taylor Johnstone has now ridden 38 city winners for the 2024-25 season, winning the opening race aboard Mystic Wonder for Gordon Richards and Damien Moyle.
Moyle said it was the first time on race day Mystic Wonder had produced some of the talent she's shown at home, being a half-sister to the talented local sprinter Sghirripa.
"She's quite talented, we just haven't seen an inch of it on race day,'' Moyle said.
"It's good to finally see a little bit of that on the race track.
"It's been frustrating, I think she's just about won every trial or jump-out she's been in and on race day struggled to beat a runner home, hopefully she can go on with it,'' he said.
Johnstone's second win came when Great Maximus carried his big weight and came from last to run down rivals for Richard and Chantelle Jolly.
"He's got a lot of ability and the wet tracks help him, so he's in work at the right time,'' Chantelle Jolly added.
Johnstone shared riding honours with Jess Tzaferis, who notched up a race-to-race double aboard Grand Host for Matt Seyers, before High Society Girl claimed the staying event for the Stephen Theodore stable.
Leading Murray Bridge horseman Michael Hickmott took training honours with a double, Synchro and Cruz Missile successful, which was overshadowed by the disappointment of exciting three-year-old Party Crasher being scratched at the gates in the $1m Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm, denying him his first Group 1 runner.
At Port Augusta on Sunday, Sophie Potter added a second career win in partnership with Django Express, a much more conventional victory, having lost her irons for her first success in the saddle a week earlier.
Travis Doudle was the leading trainer with a double at Gawler on Sunday, while both Luke O'Connor (Sir Lord) and Jason Cannon (Impending Diamond) returned to the winner's stall with training success.
It was O'Connor's first victory since Waikato Express was successful at Morphettville back in 2020, while Cannon had been out of the winner's stall since December 2023.
