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Photo finish first win for apprentice

3 minute read

After seven years of riding track work and trials, mature age apprentice Catherine Van Munster felt the overwhelming joy of riding a winner in Hobart on Sunday.

At just her fifth race ride, Van Munster 26, took full advantage of her 4kg claim allowing Steel Mist ($11) to roll to the lead mid-race and set up a handy break coming around the home turn. The $2.40 favourite Nicco The Greek looked set to win when he surged late but on the line it was Steel Mist scoring by a short-half-head.

It was smiles all round as the horses returned to scale with Steel Mist trained by Van Munster's master John Luttrell who gave her a job 18 months ago when she was frustrated and ready to quit the industry.

Ole Ola dominant again

While it was only a winter Benchmark 64, Ole Ola showed she is a horse with a future with an effortless win, running away to win by 3.25 lengths and take her record to eight starts for three wins and three placings.

Ole Ola ($3.20 to $2.10) has raced four times this campaign starting with two eye-catching runs and then two wins. Apprentice Taylor Johnstone has been aboard at her past two starts and has given the mare a peach of a ride both times.

Ole Ola was the theme song for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and her breeder and part-owner Andrew Scanlon certainly was singing her praises after the race.

"I'd like to go to the mainland; she's got strong broodmare potential and winning races in Melbourne dramatically increases the value of a broodmare.

"We want to have some fun with her, we think we can win some good races with her," Scanlon said.

Ole Ola is beautifully bred by the Cox Plate winner Adelaide from Scanlon's former smart race mare Genuine Blonde who is the dam of 2015 Launceston Cup winner Genuine Lad and Radha Rani who won the Elwick Stakes in 2010.

"I think she's a 1600m/2000m plus horse so who knows we might be looking at a cups horse."

Blacker treble

Longford trainer John Blacker had his team up and firing in Hobart with two early winners on the nine-race card.

'JKB' saddled up Mira Flores ($6.50) to break her maiden at her 15th start in the first race of the day while Bellasario ($16) who had been placed in three of her nine previous runs came from well back in the field to win her first race impressively.

Mira Flores was wide all the way but still proved too good with Siggy Carr riding while it was Hayley McCarthy who brought Bellesario from the rear of the field to win running away.

Blacker then made it three for the day when Doonican got a late split to grab the lead and win his second race after being supported from an opening quote of $12 to start $9 and put some value in the quaddie, winning the first leg, a maiden/class 1 over 1600m.

Although unplaced at his past couple of runs, Doonican had been right on the placegetters heels and under vigorous riding from Troy Baker, the 5YO sprinted hard when he got the opportunity to win by a neck from King Kurt ($8) who showed a win is not far away after just two runs since coming to Tasmania.

While riding honours were shared with nine different jockeys winning the nine races, for one it was a day she will never forget.


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