Battling with a bad back, top Sydney jockey Brenton Avdulla has capped a stellar day in the saddle with four wins including the feature race at Randwick.
After feeling the heat as he scraped the rail to ride Kubrick to victory in the inaugural $1 million Bondi Stakes, Avdulla flew home aboard Romani Girl ($7) to win the Daily Press Handicap (1500m).
Bergen ($5) was second three-quarters of a length away as $51 outsider Tunero rounded out the placings.
Avdulla’s four winners, which also included Madam Rouge and Greyworm, was made all the more remarkable after he defied a physio’s urgings to sit out Saturday’s meeting because of a back injury.
“Great day. Can’t complain,” Avdulla said.
“Probably could have been five.”
Avdulla’s big day out also justified his decision to forgo potential Cox Plate day rides at Moonee Valley.
“There was a slight opportunity (to go to Melbourne),” he said.
“It’s Cox Plate day, you want to be down there.
“But at the end of the day, two weeks ago when we had an opportunity from Chris Waller … Kubrick grabbed my attention straight away so that forced me to stay in Sydney.”
He will now turn his attention to riding in the Bendigo Cup on Wednesday before returning to Rosehill for Golden Eagle day.
But he will eventually make the trip to the Melbourne Cup carnival, booked to ride Kris Lee-trained In Her Time in the Darley Sprint Classic on November 9.
Three of his Saturday winners came aboard Chris Waller-trained runners, with Romani Girl giving racing manager Charlie Duckworth good news to report back to his boss in Melbourne.
“She’s a good mare whose been very good to the owners and good to the stable,” Duckworth said.
“She’s always promised a lot and she’s delivered on a good day today.”