Chad Lever’s misfortune with a back injury was Pegus’ good luck as he produced a top ride to guide Santa Ana Lane to victory in the Wagga Town Plate.

Freedman rang Pegus on Town Plate morning to offer him what turned out to be the winning ride on Santa Ana Lane.

“Lee rang me this morning and just said to me I’ve put you down to ride my horse in the Town Plate, Mark, and told me how he wants me to ride it and that was about it,” Pegus explained.

It was Pegus’ first ride on Santa Ana Lane, and his first ride in a Wagga Town Plate, as far as he can remember, and he was always confident.

“I was very happy in the run, I come back a little back further than I first anticipated just to get him out into clear running, and then once I got to about the 600 I thought he was going to be very hard to beat.  I thought he was going to let down super,” Pegus said.

Pegus said it was always nice to win feature races at country carnivals like Wagga.

“It’s always great to win any of these features at these carnivals because they’re good carnivals,” he said.

“I’ve won a lot of Country Cups and Town Plates, at Albury and all those sort of places, so to add another one is great.”