Hunting Hill got the ball rolling with a win at Sandown
Trainer Nathan McPherson has described scoring a double at Sandown in successive races as the best hour of his life.
The Cranbourne-based horseman has only two horses in work with both successful on Wednesday giving the 29-year-old his first city double.
Hunting Hill got the ball rolling in the Hamilton Reid Chartered Accountants Handicap (1300m) before Eurack demolished the field in the Comcater Handicap (1000m).
“I’ve had some moments, good and bad, in my life and this would be the biggest hour in my life,” McPherson said after Eurack scored by 4-1/4 lengths.
“I’ve tried to pull off a city double a number of times but we’ve come up a bit short.
“Last time I got close to a double, Hunting Hill ran second.”
McPherson hopes to build his team and has dreams of being a big name in training ranks.
“My record is that I’ve always been able to train but I’ve had a few setbacks and I’ve had to learn from them,” he said.
“I’ve sorted my life out and I’m back on track and I want to let the horses do the talking.”
McPherson has high hopes for Eurack but says he will be patient with the filly.
The three-year-old is unbeaten in two starts after scoring at Bendigo last month.
“I can’t wait for six months time to see how she comes back,” McPherson said.
“I had it in my mind she was going straight to the paddock after Bendigo but after a couple of days on the grass she put her head in my lap and said ‘work me’.
“We picked out this race but now she’s going to the paddock until she tells me otherwise.
“She doesn’t need to prove anything yet, so she can wait until she grows a little bit more.”
While Eurack is a straight-forward horse, McPherson said Hunting Hill could be a handful.
“He’s got a few antics,” McPherson said.
“He can cow-kick you at times. He doesn’t mean it so for him to be the first piece of the puzzle today, I’m tickled pink.”
Both winners were ridden by Ben Melham.
