Gundagai's Billy Owen gets his first winner since returning on the Mick Smith-trained Roycroft at Wagga

Owen, who is apprenticed to Nick Olive in Canberra, registered his first win in eight months when guiding Roycroft to victory at Wagga.

Owen spent about seven months out with weight issues and only begun race riding again last month as he works at gradually lowering his weight.

"It's been a while between drinks," Owen said.

"Its good. Each week it gets a bit better, now it's starting to warm up a bit. I'm riding 58 (kilograms) at the moment but each week it's getting a half kilo better, it's good."

Owen steered the Mick Smith-trained Roycroft ($8.50) to an easy win in the Sheather's Painting & Decorating Maiden Plate (1300m).

The four-year-old had never placed in his prior eight starts but Owen had hope.

"I was quietly confident. I actually rode him one of his starts last prep and even though he did not much when I rode him, I said to Mick I don't mind him," he said.

"Then when I trialled Handle The Truth, he was in the trial and he actually trialled really good. Then the other day at Wagga, even though it was a TAB Two meeting, he didn't have much luck and he actually ran quite good first up. (On Saturday) it was a pretty average race, and I had drawn a gate.

"I had drawn two and I didn't really want to be on the fence so I just had to navigate a position, try and be in a position at the 600 where I could be off the fence. I was able to do that. He got to the front way too quick because he had no idea what to do once he got to the front. He's probably never travelled so well in a race in his life.

"He's ended up winning by two and a bit lengths, it probably looked more impressive than what it was because what was following him. In that sort of going, over a mile or something, he's got a couple more wins left in him for sure."

Owen had moved to Sydney and was apprenticed to John O'Shea before deciding to take a break. While he has no intention to move back to the metropolitan area, he hopes to ride a couple more winners in town before his time finishes.

"I've got 'til February left with my apprenticeship and I'll be staying based in Canberra. I've still got two kilos at the provincials and I've got three winners left with my three kilos in town," he said.

"Two years ago I never thought I'd be riding at the professionals as it was, but my goal was always to outride my three kilo claim in town. If I could do that, I was happy. I've got three left to do in three months or so.

"There's a few good apprentices coming through in town so it doesn't bother me too much if it doesn't happen, I'm just happy to be back out riding there again."

Roycroft's win was the second leg of a winning double for Smith, who was successful earlier in the day with Hilltop Hood ($2.70) in the Benchmark 66 Handicap (2500m).

Hilltop Hood was ridden to victory by Nick Heywood, who also enjoyed a double after riding Glorious Dream ($2.60) to win later in the day.

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