Exciting first-season apprentice jockey Lily Sutherland is hoping she can add one major achievement to her riding CV when she heads to Riccarton this weekend.
Sutherland made it 30 wins for the season when she rode a double at Riverton on Monday, guiding Classic Diva and She's A Con to victory for local trainers Kelvin and Aimee Tyler.
The only major thing missing for Sutherland this season is black-type success, and she's hopeful she has a good chance aboard the improving filly Maryweka in the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) on Saturday.
“I'm very grateful to be back on her for that race. It's an exciting one,” Sutherland said.
“It would be great if I can get that black-type success with her. But if it's not with her, it's just a case of letting things happen. It'll come.”
Maryweka, raced by a syndicate organised by the same team behind dual Oaks winner Pennyweka, has won three of her eight starts, the last two in succession.
Sutherland believes She's A Con might also be up to black-type class after she put up a massive effort to win a maiden 1600m event at Riverton.
She's A Con was in last position, 15 lengths behind a fast pace, in the early stages and Sutherland had to set her alight about 1000m from the line in order to catch the frontrunning David Moss, but managed to get up by a length at the line.
“She's a bit of a star. She has a great turn of foot and she kept going,” Sutherland said.
“I rode her at her last race (when she finished strongly for second in a Wingatui maiden) and that helped. I knew that she would keep going after I asked her to move.
“She's a very talented filly who deserved that victory, and she should get better with more distance.”
She's A Con has already tackled black-type racing, finishing sixth in the Listed Southland Guineas (1600m) in February, and Sutherland understood the filly might seek black-type again in the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton on Saturday-week.
However, if she does, Sutherland won't be aboard, as she was suspended for five days for her ride on She's A Con after admitting she used the whip six times prior to the 100m mark, one more than permitted.
“I've gotten a lot better with the whip rules as the season has gone on, but I didn't get it right there,” she said.
Classic Diva's victory was scored in contrasting fashion. Very unlucky when she was held up for a run in Sutherland's hands on the first day of the Riverton meeting on Saturday, Classic Diva settled outside the pacemaking Gintys Girl in a Rating 75 1600m event on Monday and fought on strongly to win by a neck.
“She normally settles back but she jumped really well on Monday and you don't want to take the speed off her,” Sutherland said.
“It all worked out really well and she really deserved her victory.”
Sutherland is apprenticed to Hawke's Bay trainer Vicki Wilson and spends a lot of time working with Wanganui horseman Kevin Myers, but she has ridden a lot in the South Island and chose to ride both days at Riverton rather than wait for Monday's Woodville races closer to home.
“I've ridden quite a few horses for the Tylers and they were really encouraging me to come down and ride some of their horses,” she said.
“Kevin has also encouraged me to ride down south a lot as well. He's been really encouraging.”
Sutherland said she was extremely happy with the way her season has gone to date, and is looking forward to completing the season in good style.
“I've learned and improved with pretty much everything this season,” she said. “It's only my first year of riding, and I just try to get better with everything as I go along.”