Toowoomba apprentice Brooke Stower has claimed the Queensland leg of the National Apprentices Series aboard the Barry Baldwin-trained Fleur D’Orage.
Fleur D’Orage ($10) made it three wins on wet tracks on Wednesday when she beat the $3 favourite Dee Nine Elle ridden by Western Australia’s Clint Johnston-Porter by a length at Doomben.
Queensland’s leading apprentice James Orman was third on Bedisguised ($8) a short neck away.
It was Stower’s 145th career win and she has gradually made the transition from leading country apprentice to top city rider.
“Things are going good at the moment and I am starting to get rides for some of the top stables,” Stower said.
“Fleur D’Orage loved the wet track and she got through the going easily.”
The win was a great return to the track for Baldwin who had not been to the races since getting out of hospital five weeks ago after knee surgery.
“Fleur D’Orage is a genuine wet tracker and my confidence grew as the rain came down overnight,” Baldwin said.
“It is always great to win for the syndicate that races Fleur D’Orage as they also had my Stradbroke Handicap winner La Montagna.”
The final series heats will be held in Tasmania, Western Australia and South Australia over the next six weeks.
Veteran jockey Cyril Small made the most of one of his rare visits to metropolitan racing to win on Hoagy ($17) in the Sevensins Maiden (2200m).
Small, who partnered the great galloper Vo Rogue to 20 wins in the 1980s, rode his previous city winner in January 2014 on Enchantee.
He is a regular winner on the provincial circuit and often rides for Hoagy’s trainer Maryann Brosnan.
“Maryann does a great job with her horses. Hoagy is no Vo Rogue but he did give them 12 lengths start and a beating today,” Small said.
