Western girl gets the win at Wingatui. Photo credit: Otago Racing Facebook Page
Western Girl scored her long-awaited maiden win at Wingatui on Saturday.
The five-year-old daughter of Iffraaj was having her third start for Riccarton trainer Andrew Carston after transferring from the Matamata stable of Cody Cole.
“Cody rang asking if he could send her down here as he thought she would go well in the south,” Carston said. “Western Girl is owned by his sister Celia so it was great to get a result for them.
“Her first two runs for me were pretty good. Her last start was a bit unfortunate because she got hampered by that riderless horse.
“So I was pretty confident on Saturday, she had drawn well too (2).”
After getting away nicely at the start, Western Girl travelled midfield on the rail and once on the home straight jockey Chris Johnson stuck to the inside and she wore down leader Verdigris, going on to win by three-quarters of a length.
“It was a well-deserved win,” Carston said. “It was a good ride from Chris as well. She’ll now have a quiet week and then we will press on with her.”
Bred by Trelawney Thoroughbreds, Western Girl is out of Exquisite Choice, a half-sister to stakes winner Riding Shogun.
Exquisite Choice is the dam two winners including four-time Australian winner Own Sweet Way.