Apprentice Caitlin Hollowood registered a career highlight when Prestige Forever scored at Caulfield Heath.
After 33 wins on the country and provincial tracks of Victoria and New South Wales, Hollowood scored her first metropolitan winner when the Julius Sandhu -trained Prestige Forever took out the Sportsbet Feed Handicap (1500m) on Wednesday.
“It’s unreal,” Hollowood said.
“For a second, I thought we were beaten, but he really fought back and really dug in deep.
“I’m so happy to get the win, especially for Julius too. It was my first ride for him, so we’re starting off in a good way.”
Jumping from the outside barrier, Prestige Forever ($12) was headed in the straight before fighting back to defeat Tom Dabernig-trained stablemates Dantooine ($4.40) and Corro ($17) by a short-head.
Prestige Forever started his career with the David Brideoake and Matt Jenkins stable and won the Listed St Albans Stakes at Moonee Valley as a two-year-old.
The colt was first transferred to Matt Laurie when Brideoake retired from training before heading to Sandhu at Cranbourne.
Sandhu said there had been a lot asked of Hollowood in her first ride for the stable aboard a horse that did not always give his best.
“We asked a lot of her as this guy had been taking the ‘mickey’ back home,” Sandhu said.
“We know he’s talented, but he has a bit of a good old think, so we just had to go and do something different.
“We drew the outside barrier, and I said to give him a good squeeze and get him to the front. I said to be aggressive, and she was, and she rated him well in front.
“Credit to the horse. He was headed at that furlong mark, but he fought deep and it’s good for the connections, and hopefully that’s the making of him.
“As a two-year-old he showed plenty but did not always have his mind on the job.”
