THE remarkable Darren Beadman confirmed his championship qualities with a record breaking victory in the Sydney jockeys` premiership for the 2006-07 season, which ended at the end of last month.

Australia is such a vast country that regional premierships are regarded as championships in their own right, with the powerhouse city circuits of Sydney and Melbourne at the top of the pyramid above a myriad other state �country` circuits.

Beadman, in action in Ascot`s Shergar Cup on Saturday, was alsoleading rider in Australia overall. Last year, though, he notched a career-high 164 wins on the Sydney city circuit at a strike rate of 26 per cent, well ahead of runner-up Zac Purton on 71 winners. Hugh Bowman, currently riding in Britain for a brief stint, finished up third on the list.

Only Nash Rawiller, a newcomer to Sydney ranks who joined the Gai Waterhouse stable during the autumn carnival, bettered (or even got close to) Beadman`s strike-rate � but he notched only 22.5 wins for the season. (Dead-heats count for only half a win in Aussie stats.)

John Hawkes was equally as dominant on the trainers` front. He won 153 races at a strike-rate of 21 per cent in the Sydney metropolitan area and had a place strike-rate of 53 per cent from the 743 runners he stepped out.

David Hayes returned to the top of the tree in Melbourne on his second season back following a decade-long stint in Hong Kong. He amassed 103 winners for the season at a strike rate of 13 per cent to win from arch-rival Lee Freedman on 83.5 at 15 per cent.

Hayes, who collected 11 Group 1 winners for the season, also took the Adelaide premiership and fought a fierce (and ultimately unsuccessful) battle with Hawkes for Australia-wide honours.

Craig Williams fell six winners shy of topping the ton for the first time in Melbourne. No Melbourne jockey has ever been able to crack the century mark of winners with Brett Prebble (now in Hong Kong) going painfully close with 99.5 in the 1999-2000 season.

The Japanese came to Australia and took home a famous Melbourne Cup one-two as Delta Blues defeated Pop Rock, prompting local trainers to again cry foul, just as they did when Dermot Weld`s Vintage Crop and Media Puzzle took Australia`s biggest race.

But the Aussies turned it around on the international stage. Firstly there was Takeover Target. After performing well in England, the world travels continued to Japan where he was successful before a blip appeared on the radar in Hong Kong involving a drugs scandal.

Then there was Karasi, who took the Nakayama Grand Jump in Japan back in April, his third consecutive win in the race, before four Aussies took on Europe`s best sprinters and got the money for the third time in four years at Royal Ascot in June thanks to the scorching success of Miss Andretti.

She collected four Group 1 victories and a further two placings during the Aussie season before her King`s Stand win, which will probably clinch her the Horse of the Year title, although fellow star filly Miss Finland will have her supporters.

Old-timer Fields Of Omagh, lining-up for his fifth run in Australia`s biggest weight-for-age race, the Cox Plate, took the honours and was immediately retired, while Forensics gave Damien Oliver a comeback Group 1 victory in the Golden Slipper following a horror run with injury.

WINNERS OF MILLION-DOLLAR (AUS) GROUP 1 RACES 2006-07
Oct (Caulfield) - Caulfield Guineas - Wonderful World - (B Cummings - L Nolen)

Oct (Caulfield) - Caulfield Cup � Tawqeet - (D Hayes - D Dunn)

Oct (Moonee Valley) - Cox Plate - Fields Of Omagh - (D Hayes - C Williams)

Nov (Flemington) - Victoria Derby - Efficient - (G Rogerson - M Rodd)

Nov (Flemington) - Melbourne Cup - Delta Blues - (K Sumii (Jap) - Y Iwata)

Feb (Caulfield) - Blue Diamond Stakes - Sleek Chassis - (D Hayes - D Dunn)

Mar (Caulfield) - Australian Cup � Pompeii Ruler - (M Price - C Newitt)

Mar (Caulfield) - Newmarket Handicap - Miss Andretti - (L Freedman - C Newitt)

Apr (Rosehill) - Golden Slipper - Forensics - (J Hawkes - D Oliver)

Apr (Rosehill) - The BMW �Blutigeroo - (C Little - D Oliver)

Apr (Randwick) - AJC Derby � Fiumicino - (J Hawkes - D Beadman)

Apr (Randwick) - Doncaster Handicap � Haradasun - (T Vasil - G Boss)

Jun (Eagle Farm) - Stradbroke Handicap - Sniper`s Bullet - (T Bartley - C Williams)

AUSTRALIAN RACING LEADERS 2006-07 (season August 1 � July 31)

Melbourne trainers` premiership
(runners) wins
1 - David Hayes (761) 103
2 - Lee Freedman (573) 83.5
3 - Peter Moody (343) 40
4 - Danny O`Brien (305) 38
5 - Mick Price (265) 34
6 - Brian Mayfield-Smith (263) 31
7 - Matt Ellerton (221) 24
8 - Robbie Laing (248) 23
9 - Darren Weir (140) 21
10 - Robert Smerdon (186) 19

Melbourne jockeys` premiership
(rides) wins
1 - Craig Williams (487) 94
2 - Sebastian Murphy (app) (351) 51
3 - Craig Newitt (453) 44
3 - Damien Oliver (276) 44
5 - Luke Nolen (343) 43
6 - Michael Rodd (223) 35
7 - Corey Brown (197) 31.5
8 - Chris Symons (328) 31
9 - Blake Shinn (386) 29
9 - Greg Childs (288) 29

Sydney trainers` premiership
(runners) wins
1 - John Hawkes (743) 153
2 - Gai Waterhouse (451) - 98
3 - Guy Walter (290) 41
4 - John O`Shea (182) 40
5 - Chris Waller (191) 38
6 - Bart Cummings (240) 30
6 - Anthony Cummings (248) 30
8 - Graeme Rogerson (324) 27.5
9 - Kevin Moses (198) 25
10 - Gary Porteli (182) 20

Sydney jockeys` premiership
(rides) wins
1 - Darren Beadman (629) 164
2 - Zac Purton (579) 71
3 - Hugh Bowman (406) 63
4 - Ty Angland (app) (528) 60
5 - Josh Parr (app) (394) 54
6 - Tim Clark (app) (488) 51
7 - Glen Boss (304) 41
7 - Jim Cassidy (359) 41
9 - Jay Ford (485) 28.5
10 - Chris Munce (202) 29

Racing Post