Jockey Patrick Murphy was thankful the rain stayed away on Wednesday so he was able to ride two-year-old Appearance to an impressive debut win at Canterbury.
The meeting was run on a track described by jockeys as very heavy but with no downfalls during the course of the meeting all seven races were able to be run.
Murphy, son of the Australian Turf Club’s general manager of racecourse management Lindsay Murphy, grew up at Canterbury and produced Appearance at the right time in the straight as the filly hit the line with gusto to take out the Bacardi Bar Handicap (1200m) by three-quarters of a length.
“It’s been a while since I’ve ridden a winner here but I know the place like the back of my hand,” Murphy said.
“When the track was put up heavy I actually rang Dad to make sure the races were still going to go ahead, at least until race four.
“I knew on her work she would get through it and I was just hoping the races went on.”
Appearance became the second Sheikh Mohammed-owned two-year-old filly to win for trainer Guy Walter in the space of 48 hours after Matignon scored on the Kensington track at Randwick on Monday.
Walter has 11 Darley-owned two-year-old fillies in his stable and despite being reluctant to start Appearance on the heavy surface he said it was a very encouraging debut.
“She did a great job,” Walter said.
“Pat rode her to my instructions, he rode her quietly early and she got the split at the top of the straight and showed good ability and good determination. I thought it was a very impressive debut.
“You never really like running them first-up on a heavy track but these days there is not much choice and she did get practice at it in her trials.”
Leading trainer Chris Waller edged closer to a century of Sydney winners for the season but had to do it via the stewards’ room after the running of the Hyland Race Colours Handicap (1900m).
The Waller-trained Merchandise was second across the line but apprentice Jason Collett fired in a protest against the winner Ultimate Gaze who was ridden by apprentice Adam Hyeronimus.
Collett’s mount, who finished three-quarters of a length from Ultimate Gaze, was hampered at the top of the straight and then forced to check and lose momentum at approximately the 200-metre mark as a result of Ultimate Gaze shifting in.
Stewards upheld the objection which took Waller to 97 wins in Sydney this season.
Hyeronimus later pleaded guilty to careless riding and was suspended for four meetings to begin after Saturday’s Rosehill fixture.
AAP TURF
