There was something divinely rewarding for Linda Meech as she steered PIPPIE home to win the Gr 1 Oakleigh Plate.
Remember, this was the jockey who was sensationally sacked from the star 3YO THOUGHT OF THAT days prior to the Gr 1 VRC Derby because…. ‘she wasn’t a Gr 1 rider.’
Well that’s changed now hasn’t it.
And there was certainly evidence that she hadn’t forgotten the sacking either in her speech after the Oakleigh Plate. “This means a great deal to me. And I firstly just want to give a big thanks to the owners for sticking with me. I just got the fun part.”
You could almost hear the unspoken subtext in that.
And it would have sounded something like this: “See, I can ride Gr 1 winners too.”
Incidentally, there were two female riders in this Oakleigh Plate and they came first and second. Jamie Kah guiding ZOUTORI home a fast finishing 2nd.
“Yeah she was coming but my mare got a bit playful 100m from home when she just pricked her ears but I yelled at her and said, c’mon girl it’s not over yet.”
Meech has always had a masterful clock in her head especially for rating pace and when she leads, she nearly always wins. Irrespective of distance.
And that is an ability. An uncanny, natural talent that allows her velvety soft hands to just keep horses relaxed in the front and rolling. Right now she sits atop all Australian riders in that phase of a race.
She is the best front-running rider bar none. And Pippie (Written Tycoon-Coupe Express) who dutifully led all the way to win, is now her 2nd Gr 1 winner.
Speaking of Pippie, she cost just $60,000 as a yearling when purchased by John Meagher out of the Inglis Classic Yearling sale back in 2017. She has now accumulated $571,450 in prizemoney and this was her 5th win.
Meech, who had been starving herself for a month to get down to the riding weight needed on Saturday, must surely now gain the recognition her talents and dedication to riding demand.
She is a natural 54.5kg rider who wasted to ride at 52kg on Saturday.
“I’ve been living on a diet of salad and fish for a month and going on plenty of long runs and walks. But the way this girl ran proved it was all worth it.
“Jess Eaton, who used to live with me when she was an apprentice, had been riding her in all her work lately and she would tell me that she was a great ride in the Oakleign Plate because she was flying. She was very confident.”
And that pretty much sums it up for Meech now too.
Confidence.
All owners, Brae Sokolski the man who took her off Thought Of That just before the VRC Derby last year, should know that when booking Linda Meech to ride your horse, you can be confident she’ll do a masterful job.
Pippie just proved that.
