When the Wantabadgery-trained mare Pastiche broke through for her first win in two and a half years at Tumut on Boxing Day, it was also sweet relief for jockey Stacey Metcalfe.
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In four previous rides on the Rodger Waters-trained Pastiche, Metcalfe had been runner-up three times.
But the pair made no mistake in the 1400m benchmark 50 event on Wednesday, as Pastiche ($5) cruised to victory by more than two lengths from Element of Luck (trained by Peter Korn) and Trevor Sutherland’s Yawkey Way.
It was the mare’s first win since breaking her maiden on a heavy track at Wagga back in June 2016.
“I’ve had a few rides on her and I kept getting second on her so it was pretty good to finally get a win,” Metcalfe said.
“I was pretty confident. I’ve been riding her trackwork and she’s been working really well.”
In scorching conditions at Tumut, Metcalfe was the second chapter on a big day for female apprentices.
Belinda Wright provided the headline act with 2.5 wins while Courtney Gravener laid a platform by taking out the first on Bay Lane.
Trained at Tumbarumba by Philip Waters, Bay Lane ($3.70) denied Tumut trainer Kerry Weir a home town win, edging out Stafford ($2.50f) by less than half a length. Weir’s Dante Pierro was eight lengths away third.
Gundagai hoop Billy Owen denied the women a complete clean sweep when he shared in the dead-heat win in race four, nursing Patrika Belle to the line for Canberra trainer Neil Osborne.
It was a sweet success for Owen after he’d be thrown, but unhurt, by a buck-jumping Mighty Slick in the second event of the day.
