Apprentice jockey Belinda Wright barely put a foot wrong at Tumut on Wednesday, riding half the card at the traditional Boxing Day meeting.
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Just four months into her professional riding career, Wright celebrated victory in the last three races, including a sensational dead-heat.
Technically, that made it 2.5 wins rather than a treble. But, for a jockey who’d had three career wins prior to Christmas, almost doubling her record in a day, and claiming half of the five races, was something special.
“I’ll definitely be coming back every year I think,” Wright said.
Centennial Prince ($6) kicked off her success in race three, with a dominant five-length win in the 1000m maiden for Gundagai trainer Andrew Sheahan.
“I knew there was a win in him somewhere but to win by that margin was a bit surprising,” Wright said.
Her next finish couldn’t have been more different as the Trevor Sutherland-trained Benno’s Boy ($4.20), carrying 57.5kg even after Wright’s claim, flashed home late on the outside in the second 1000m sprint (BM50).
But the seven-year old couldn’t quite get in front of leader Patrika Belle ($4, jockey Billy Owen) and the judge was unable to split the pair.
However, Wright returned to solo success in the last as Abington Threat ($8) claimed the mile race for Cooma trainer Georgie Boucher.
From Temora, Wright is apprenticed to Wagga trainer Wayne Carroll. But Tumut must feel like home. It was the scene of her debut winner last month, on County Limerick, also for Sheahan.
He praised her riding, as did Sutherland, who her only other two wins had also been for.
“Belinda rode him (Benno’s Boy) good. It’s good for her, she’s riding great,” Sutherland said.
He was rapt in his old stager who was having his 124th career start, coming off a win at Albury and desperate to breakthrough at Tumut.
“I actually thought we got there, but we apparently didn’t,” Sutherland said of the dead-heat.
“I always thought there was a bit of an advantage being on the outside. But it was good. He went good with plenty of weight. He continues to put in.”
The Wagga trainer wasn’t about to knock back the tied finish. With a horse that has had five seconds in his five starts at Tumut, and four of them by less than half-a-length, Sutherland was preparing for the worst.
“When it got to a photo I thought, well I’ll probably lose,” he laughed. “He’s a grand old boy. Honest. Good.”
Meanwhile, Sheahan was pleased with the emphatic breakthrough win for Centennial Prince, particularly the time of 56.83s for the 1000m.
“He’s consistent. The longer we’ve had him the better he gets. Hopefully he’ll win another one,” Sheahan said.
“It was probably a basic field but it was a quick time and times don’t lie.”
Centennial Prince was coming off a second and a third at Adaminaby and then Cooma (both with Wright on board).
Sheahan said the five-year-old, which was bought by the owners for one dollar at the Young Picnics, could go to another 1000m sprint at Gundagai on Tuesday, or even Canberra late next week.
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