A RETURN to the track where she scored a brilliant victory and being adept in wet conditions are two factors apprentice jockey Eleanor Webster-Hawes believes can help Just Pay Up return to winning form today.
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The five-year-old mare, trained at Bathurst by Don Ryan, is likely to start as one of the favourites in the JBB Racing Benchmark 55 Handicap (1300m) at Dubbo after returning from a break with a pair of solid performances.
But it is the form she showed prior to that mini-spell, which included a stunning win at Dubbo, that has Webster-Hawes confident in Just Pay Up's chances.
"She's shown before that she can handle wet tracks and I think the best race she has run was at Dubbo when she won there back in August," Webster-Hawes said.
"That was her second win in a row for me and she showed enough to suggest she should be able to go on and win more races. I think the race on Monday looks pretty suitable for her.
"Her trackwork has been really good, she feels great and she will only have 56kg after my claim."
Webster-Hawes has had plenty to do with the lightly-race daughter of Red Ransom (USA), riding her in eight of her 10 career starts to date as well as riding her in trackwork.
While Just Pay Up hasn't saluted since resuming from her break, there have been excuses on both occasions.
"Before she went for the spell she had the win at Narromine and then the really good win at Dubbo when she came from well back in the field and beat them easily," Webster-Hawes said.
"Then after the break I thought she was a bit disappointing when she finished second last at Bathurst, but she got pretty sick after that.
"Last start at Orange I had the choice of being caught four-wide on her or pushing on to lead, and I went forward because there was no pace in the race and she was still a bit fresh.
"She'd never led in a race before but she kicked on well and didn't get beaten far behind a pretty good horse of Jeff Brasch's (Vortuka)."
Her success on Just Pay Up opened a number of doors for Webster-Hawes, whose other two rides today will be Cardiff Prince and Pugnare for Dubbo trainer Darren Hyde.
She has also successfully ridden for Brasch and Peter Stanley in recent times.
"She's been a good horse for me, because I won those two races and then my confidence rose," Webster-Hawes said.
"When that happened I got some more opportunities and it just went from there. Don, Steve and Andy Ryan have been great for me, and the support from the other trainers has been getting better.
"Both of Darren's horses are first-up on Monday so I'm not sure how they will go but they're both nice horses and I'm happy to be on them."
