Rod Gallegos is Sky Sports Radio's racing expert and a regular contributor to Back Page Lead.

Among many highlights at the Brisbane Winter Carnival, it could be argued that the best performances were achieved by the extremes of the age scale - an octogenarian horse trainer and a three-year-old filly.

No prizes for guessing their identity: Bart Cummings and Dariana should be crowned King and Queen of the winter carnival.

Bart probably should have finished the season with eight Group 1 wins instead of what still was a season best of seven and he defeated by one the much younger Peter Moody.

Now 82, he has reached a career total of 260 Group 1 successes leaving him 19 astern of the late Tommy Smith.

Still with no hint of retirement, Bart maybe has time on his side to annex the Group 1 all-time title.

Dariana, of course, should have boosted further the tally this year because the dynamic display to win the Queensland Derby was positive proof that had she not become entangled in the barrier stalls she would have won the Queensland Oaks with similar or greater authority.

It will be surprising if Dariana doesn't scale even greater and exciting heights during the spring.

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JOCKEY Danny Nikolic's success before the disciplinary and appeals tribunal may have further repercussions if the stewards elect to appeal.

The merit of future action, though, is problematic.

The overflow from the long-running and controversial inquiry is that jockeys may be subjected to rigid restrictions regarding who they can talk to in future.

Personally I hope Nikolic gets on with life and that he can shrug off the mud that has been flung at him.

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IT HAS been a long carnival in Brisbane and the official final curtain will be at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday with the running of the Glasshouse Mountains Flying and the Caloundra Cup.

As far as the Cup is concerned it is hard to go past the back-to-back Ipswich Cup winner, Our Lukas.

He has to set a weight-carrying record for the race to win with 58-kilos which is a kilo more than Reggie carried to victory last year.

As for the Glasshouse am I game to stick with King Mufhasa? As the old saying goes - in for a penny; in for a pound; faint heart never won a fair woman.

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AT THIS time of the year - one month before the end of the season - we tend to concentrate on the premierships.

Sydney still may be absorbing with Nash Rawiller leading Corey Brown.

However, Adelaide is interesting with Libby Hopwood with 41.5 winners only 2.5 behind Chad Lever.

On a trail blazed by Claire Lindop, apprentice Libby may strike another major blow for the growing female jockey contingent.

Go the girls!

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THE TWO biggest TAB jackpots this weekend are a $100,000 Quaddie jackpot at Rosehill (NSW TAB) and $50,000 on the First 4 in the last at Moonee Valley (Victorian TAB). Happy, happy punting.