Husband and wife training team Brian Johnston and Fran Houlahan celebrated a rare city double and honoured a promise they made to Katelyn Mallyon 18 months ago in the process.
Mallyon booted home Blue Nile for the stable in Wednesday’s Skylift Crane Services Handicap (1600m) at Sandown and was later successful on stablemate Shabangabang in the Event Landscaping Solutions Handicap (1000m).
Houlahan said Mallyon had ridden occasionally for them but she made a promise to the young rider 18 months ago that she would put her on a city winner after one of the stable’s metropolitan runners was a late scratching.
“The horse wouldn’t leave the mounting yard and the stewards scratched it but I said to Katelyn ‘I will put you on a winner one day’.
“Today was the day and she has ended up with a double for us.”
Blue Nile started the $2.25 favourite and scored a three-quarters of a length win from Yasey San and Littleriver Ruby.
Shabangabang ($6) also posted a three-quarter length win, beating Dashing Miss and Spurcific.
Houlahan doubted that either mare would have won without Mallyon.
“Katelyn’s (two kilo) claim is an enormous help,” Houlahan said.
Four-year-old Blue Nile has won three of her seven starts with Wednesday’s success her first in the city, while Shabangabang is proving a Sandown specialist posting three of her seven wins at the venue.
“She (Shabangabang) has been a wonderful mare for us,” Houlahan said.
“Brian bought her at the festival sale in New Zealand and we paid $6000 for her.”
Wednesday’s win took Shabangabang’s career earnings to more than $145,000.
Last start she was a first-up fourth to Rue Maple at Caulfield and she appreciated the drop in class at Sandown.
“She raced well at Caulfield the other day but she loves this track,” Houlahan said.
“When she is in form she is the most genuine horse and we will keep looking at similar races with her around the 1100 and 1200 metres.”
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