Jye McNeil has taken a big step towards the Victorian statewide jockeys’ premiership with a winning double at Pakenham moving him five wins clear with four days of the season remaining.
McNeil started Monday’s meeting on the synthetic track with a three-win lead over Daniel Stackhouse in the statewide standings for 2019-20 and he notched wins aboard Spy Colonel and Loving Gracie on the eight-race card.
It took McNeil’s tally in Victoria to 140 wins.
Stackhouse went winless at Monday’s meeting.
McNeil and Stackhouse are down for rides at Moe on Tuesday and Bendigo on Wednesday, with acceptances for the final two meetings of the season in Victoria at Ballarat on Thursday and Geelong on Friday still to be taken.
While McNeil leads the statewide standings, he finished fourth in the metropolitan premiership in Victoria this season with 48 winners, 22 behind Craig Williams who clinched his ninth Melbourne metropolitan jockeys’ title.