WINTERCONI had been a consistently strong, but winless, performer at Tyers Park.
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That was the case until Monday.
The Dean Mirfin-trained mare finally found the breakthrough on her home track, winning the Central West Electrical F&M Maiden Handicap (1200m) after four previous placings at Bathurst.
Winterconi ($2.70 favourite) sat towards the rear of the field throughout the running before being urged along down the outside of the track by Anthony Cavallo to claim a one length win over Super Cyclone ($3, Greg Ryan).
Bathurst trainer Mirfin almost had both his runners inside the top three, with Wordly Pleasure ($4.80, Brandon Griffiths) beaten by Russian Ahead ($21, Jon Grisedale) in the battle for third.
Mirfin didn’t expect his mare to be sitting in the rear of the field during the early stages of the race but was pleased with how Cavallo handled the race.
“It’s a win that was overdue. She’s now had a win and four placings so she’d been very consistent without winning. It was great for her to break through today,” he said.
“I expected she’d be running in a more forward position than where she was in the race. I was surprised when she sat second last but Tony Cavallo’s a good jockey, he knows what he’s doing and he got her to the right place at the right time.”
Russian Ahead and Super Cyclone led the field into the straight and Winterconi still had plenty of work to do.
A gap opened up which allowed Cavallo to take Winterconi off the rail and find the breeze down the centre of the track. The Bathurst mare claimed victory in her 11th career start.
It’s a win that was overdue ... it was great for her to break through today.
- Dean Mirfin
Mirfin said Wordly Pleasure’s run for fourth bodes well for her future.
“She ran really well. She’s inexperienced and this is her first preparation at the races. She’s run three very good races,” he said.
Champion jockey Greg Ryan finished the meeting with two wins, taking his career tally to 3,698.
He combined, yet again, with Bjorn Baker for victory at the Bathurst track.
The first of the two wins for the duo came in the Oak Tree Retirement Village Class 1 Handicap (1400m).
There, Ryan piloted $1.90 favourite Zabeel’s Choice to victory and that was followed with a win for the same trainer-jockey combination, Bel’s Boy ($1.95) taking out the Harvest Class 2 Handicap (1100m).
