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Irish born apprentice Erica Byrne Burke and her master Adam Trinder took honours at the Devonport meeting on Sunday, snaring multiple winners on the eight-race card.
It was a career best haul of four victories for Erica Byrne Burke who threatened to have a big day leading into the meeting, her eight rides included no less than four favourites.
Three of Byrne Burke's winners came for Trinder, the exception being the Graeme Mcculloch-trained Galway Girl who defied a betting drift ($5 out to $9) and at times a wide run, to out stay her rivals in a benchmark 74 over 1880m. The win was Galway Girl 's fourth in Devonport and first since September 2020.
Byrne Burke had a treble inside the first three races, the middle part of her hat-trick coming aboard resuming mare Vivilici ($5) who produced a powerful finish to win a benchmark 66 over 1150m.
The four-year-old mare had not raced since finishing unplaced in the Listed Strutt Stakes over 2100m on Hobart Cup Day, but her trainer explained that she's unlikely to get out over those distances this time in.
"We pressed forward to the three-year-old fillies' races because that's where the money was," said Trinder leading into Sunday's race.
"She's probably identified that she's good and at her best fresh," added Trinder of the $35,000 2019 Tasmanian Magic Millions purchase who now has two wins and a second placing from four first-up runs.
Another of Trinder's team to win first-up was debutante Majestic Diamond who took out the Ladbrokes 3YO Maiden (1150m).
Byrne Burke positioned the well-supported $1.95 favourite behind the leader Warica ($3) and when a gap came early in the home straight, the filly put the race away quickly.
"She's had a lot of trouble with shin soreness, she's been in and out, she's had about five preparations," said Trinder of the filly who had her first public trial back in February.
Rounding out the successful day for Trinder and Byrne Burke was four-year-old mare Cheeky One, the victory her fifth in succession.
Sent out the easing $2.20 to $2.70 favourite in the Thai Imperial Benchmark 66 Hcp (1350m), Cheeky One again showed her racing versatility, coming from well back in a slowly run race to grab victory in the shadows of the post, having led all the way at her most recent success.
Trinder admitted to some surprise at the mares' win streak while acknowledging that she's been well-placed with the light weights that she has carried.
"To win five on end, horses just don't do that but all of her runs this time in have been really good, even going back to her first-up run in Launceston," Trinder said.
The quartet of winners for Erica Byrne Burke saw her shoot to the top of the jockey's Premiership table with seven winners early in the new season, four clear of Siggy Carr in second place.
