Apprentice Jordan Mallyon landed his 20th metropolitan winner aboard the John Sadler-trained Neriani at Caulfield, but it wasn’t how he expected it to happen.
The 18-year-old said he thought he’d have Neriani in the first three from barrier one in the small field of eight in the Royal Tivoli Jewellers Cup (1400m), but he found himself back near the rear.
The Bianconi three-year-old filly had run second, beaten a short half-head, to rival Gunawati after leading over 1200m at Moonee Valley last start on March 14 and met that filly 2.5kg better at the weights on Saturday.
Sent out at $6.50, Neriani got up in the last bound to beat Koala Bear ($17) with Gunawati ($3.30) a length away third.
The disappointment of the race was the Peter Moody-trained Sayahailmary ($3.20 fav) who weakened to finish last after leading.
“We were a little bit worried about where Jordan was going but he did the job well and got her to the line,” Sadler’s stable manager Troy Corstens said.
“It wasn’t planned to be that far back so she did a good job to sneak through the field and win.
“She’s not the soundest of fillies but in saying that we’ve never had any great issues with her.
“She’s got a very good heart,” he added of the filly who has raced four times for two wins, her other being at Ballarat over 1000m on debut in January.
Mallyon, grandson of triple Caulfield Cup-winning jockey Mick Mallyon, is apprenticed to Flemington trainer Mike Moroney and has been riding for two years.
He will claim 2kg in town after Saturday.
“Hopefully I’ll get a few more city winners while a lot of the senior riders are away and keep it going over the winter when trainers are looking to claim on the wet tracks,” he said.
AAP TURF
