Apprentice Jacob Rule, who gave riding away last year, combined with his new master John Sadler to win aboard lightly-raced stayer Deep Cave at Sandown.
Rule, 21, who was previously with the Darren Weir stable at Ballarat, gave riding away soon after the Warrnambool May carnival last year and went to Queensland to look after some of Weir’s horses who were campaigning there during the winter.
“I just lost interest and the desire and just needed a break away from it,” Rule, who was contemplating having a go at being a jumps jockey when his weight crept up to 68kg, said.
However when the enthusiasm returned he worked on his weight and got it back to 54kg which is as light as he can ride.
He has been with Malua Racing at Flemington for four months and has 18 months of his apprenticeship remaining.
“I had a bit of time off and got hungry again. It was a lot of hard work, mainly running and a bit of boxing and eating right,” he said.
He had ridden a few winners in Adelaide and won aboard Signor Socks at Moonee Valley for other stables before he scored his first win for Sadler aboard Queen For Nine Days last Thursday.
Claiming two kilograms on Deep Cove ($4.80) in Wednesday’s Le Pine Funerals Hcp (2400m), Rule brought the Zabeel four-year-old gelding home with a strong late run to beat Circle The Globe ($4.20 fav) by a length with Mr Consolidator ($7.50) 3-1/4 lengths away third.
“He’s still got a long way to go but he rides really well,” Sadler said of Rule.
“Darren Weir has a lot of time for Jacob and still supports him very well.”
Earlier Noel Callow landed the first metropolitan winner of his latest comeback to riding in Victoria when Palio Princess ($8) won the Schweppes Plate (1400m) for maidens.
A three-time Group One-winning jockey in Australia and premiership winner in Singapore where he was dubbed “King Callow”, he has been racking up the winners on the provincial circuit in recent weeks, his best effort being riding four winners at Bairnsdale on January 2.
His best recent win was the Moe Cup (1600m) on The Wingman for trainer Tony Vasil.
Callow, 36, who had a successful stint of riding in India last year, said he only picked up the ride on the Mick Kent-trained Tuscanos four-year-old mare as Brad Rawiller is currently serving a careless riding suspension.
It was his first winner in Melbourne since the Peter Moody-trained Highly Recommended at Flemington on April 16 last year.
“You don’t lose your ability, you just have to get on the right horses,” he said.
