An emotional Gold Coast jockey Laura Cheshire made the most of a rare city opportunity after breaking her neck in a race fall a year ago to win the Skyracing.TV Handicap on Toowoomba filly Ain’t She Sweet at Doomben on Saturday.
Ain’t She Sweet dented the hopes of a few Magic Millions aspirants with a convincing 1-1/4 length win over Shamrock Slipper with Show A Noee a further 1-3/4 lengths away third in the 1110m race.
Ain’t She Sweet, a daughter of Easy Rocking, is not eligible for next month’s $2 million Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast after being bought by owner Darryl Peckett at the Brisbane Bloodstock sales for only $3,300.
Cheshire broke her neck in a fall from Yankee Dollar at Ipswich on December 24 last year.
“It’s exactly 12 months ago today when I broke my neck in a fall on a two-year-old at Ipswich,” Cheshire said.
“I was out for six months and made my comeback slowly. I only got my clearance to ride again about two months ago.”
Cheshire regrets not getting the opportunities to ride more often in the metropolitan area but plans to follow Ain’t She Sweet wherever trainer Pat Sexton places her.
“She’s an exciting filly and wherever she goes I’m going,” Cheshire said.
“I don’t get many opportunities to ride in town and if I do they are normally 50-1 shots.”
Sexton, who missed Ain’t She Sweet’s win, had no problems retaining Cheshire after she was successful on the filly at the Gold Coast at her previous start last week.
“Her last win was very good and she did it going away not knowing what she was really doing,” Cheshire said.
Cheshire is Australian-born but lived with her family in New Zealand for many years when she was young.
The 27-year-old served an apprenticeship with Matamata trainer Jim Gibbs but since returning to her homeland has been based at the Gold Coast.
“I won a Listed race on Devoted for Jim Gibbs about six years ago,” she said.
“I won six races on Devoted and he was a very good horse but he had a few problems and couldn’t quite make it as a Group One horse.
“I’ve had a couple of rides in Group Two races and and I’ve been placed a few times at Group Three level in New Zealand.”
Trainer Liam Birchley was happy with the performance from runner-up Shamrock Slipper but doubts the Jet Spur filly will qualify for the Magic Millions Classic (1200m) on January 14.
“It was a good run but she probably won’t make it to the Magic Millions unless I run her again a week before,” Birchley said.
Birchley is already one of the main players for the Magic Millions with one of the main fancies, Snipzu.
AAP TURF
