Amy Jo Hayes notches first career double, Faithfulls combine for two wins, Ashleigh Wollett secures maiden win

Irish jockey Amy Jo Hayes celebrated a career-first winning double at Albany Racing Club on Thursday as Albany trainer Ashleigh Woollett secured her first career victory. Hayes mastered the blustery conditions at Percy Spencer Racecourse, saluting in the first two races before Albany jockey Natasha Faithfull combined with her trainer-mother Samantha Faithfull for back-to-back wins. Local trainer Samantha Shirley celebrated victory in the opener when Hayes steered The Mighty Butch ($5.50) to a half-a-length victory in the Western Racepix Maiden (1500m). Hayes made it two from two when she saluted in the Living Turf Maiden (1100m) with Roy Rogers’ $101 outsider Niccy’s Affair by a short head over Perth-based trainer Adam Durrant’s heavy-priced favourite Key Tee Why ($1.70). Woollett secured her maiden win after Jason Whiting steered Billy Jack ($16) to a memorable win in the 1600m Lion Corporate Handicap, half a length ahead of Steve Wolfe’s Hear Me Sing ($5). The Faithfulls combined in races four and five when hoop Tash Faithfull triumphed with Sir Bear A Lot ($2.30) in the AFGRI Albany Handicap (1500m) one length clear of Wolfe’s $10 Salary Man. The pair made it two on the trot after, Tash Faithfull steered Flick The Switch to a crushing two-and-a-half length win over Rebecca Bayliss’ Song Cycle in the 1000m Vale Jim Lemon Handicap. Durrant’s trip to the Great Southern was rewarded when Lucy Fiore saluted with How Pretty ($4) in the The Bottle-O North Road Handicap (1240m), a head clear of Blue Line ($9). Kyra Yuill won in the last with ARC president Alan Smith’s Morgs Freeman ($10) in the Pelicans Albany Handicap (1240m), a long head to Pedal Power ($5). Race two was delayed by 18 minutes after the barriers became jammed while grounds staff were repositioning them after race one. This delay meant race three was delayed by eight minutes. Tash Faithful was reprimanded for careless riding in race six on Blue Line.