Sun Oct 06 01:50:00 UTC 2024: ## Newcastle Races: Fitzgerald and van Overmeire Shine, Jones Wins Group 1

**Newcastle, NSW** – Apprentice jockey Mollie Fitzgerald continued her impressive start to the 2024-2025 season with another win at Newcastle on Saturday, taking her tally to 32.5 winners. The 22-year-old, daughter of former jockey Malcolm Fitzgerald, rode Procrastinator to victory in the benchmark 64 handicap (900 meters). Fitzgerald’s strong performance has placed her second in the NSW Jockey’s Premiership, a remarkable achievement considering her first race ride was just a few months ago.

Another jockey enjoying a successful start to the season is Jean van Overmeire, who secured a double at Newcastle. His wins on Alice Mae in the opening maiden and Restonica in the benchmark 64 handicap (1200 meters) put him in third place on the state leaderboard.

Meanwhile, former Scone apprentice Reece Jones celebrated his first Group 1 win at Randwick on Saturday, riding Chris Waller’s Land Legend to victory in The Metropolitan (2400m).

Newcastle trainer Kris Lees was absent in Sydney but achieved victories at both Doomben and Gosford, thanks to Bubba’s Bay and Enterprise Private.

Other highlights from the Newcastle races include victories by local trainers David Atkins and Paul Perry, with Rockbarton Icon and Princess Cruizer respectively.

This weekend’s races showcased the rising talent of young jockeys, the consistent performance of experienced riders, and the strong presence of local trainers in the racing scene.

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