Apprentice Ashley Thompson had a mixed day at Sandown, landing a winner before suffering an arm injury which cost him a double.
Thompson scored on Bartonelle ($2.25 fav) for Kyneton trainer Sue Naylor in the Schweppes Hcp (1200m) but overstretched his left arm when riding the unplaced Shelters in The Cove Hotel Hcp (1200m).
He was examined by the club doctor and was found to have nerve damage.
“It’s very painful and I’m going for X-rays now,” he said.
Thompson, who has ridden 13 winners in Melbourne this season, was not able to take his last three mounts, the unplaced Yokozuna and Lonhrielle and Il Sogno who took out the final event, the Ahern’s At Highways After The Last Hcp (1300m).
The Bruce And Jean Purcell-trained Il Sogno ($6) was a lucky pick-up ride for apprentice Talia Rodder who landed her first winner in Melbourne.
Rodder, apprenticed to Heath Conners at Geelong, rode six metropolitan winners in Perth before moving to Victoria 12 month ago.
Leading trainer Peter Moody moved to 98-1/2 wins in Melbourne for the season when Deliver The Dream ($4), ridden by Jason Benbow, won the Le Pine Funerals Hcp (1600m).
He still has three more meetings to reach the 100 winner milestone achieved only twice before in Melbourne – by Lee Freedman (115 winners in 2005-06) and David Hayes (103 in 2006-07).
Meanwhile, imported galloper Fergus McIver landed his first Australian win and trainer Eric Musgrove says he has a good future over jumps.
The Sadler’s Wells rising six-year-old showed good form in Ireland including a placing in the Group Two Derby Trial Stakes (2012m) at Leopardstown before being sold to Lloyd and Nick Williams.
The gelding was having only his third start here in nearly two years.
“Lloyd sent him to me to jump,” Musgrove said.
“They were going to have a go at him but every time he came right something would go wrong with him so I think they became a little bit frustrated.
“At his first two starts over a mile (1600m) and then 2000 metres, he missed the start both times.
“Now getting out to the 3100 metres and the (heavy) ground helped him.
“He’s already qualified (to race over hurdles) so I’ll discuss it with Nick and Lloyd and make up our minds from there.
“He jumps well.”
Ridden by apprentice Daniel Stackhouse, Fergus McIver ($16) outstayed his opposition in the Peter Livingstone Memorial Hcp (3100m), beating Wilbo and King Oliver.
Musgrove has had succes for the Williams family over the jumps this season with Australian Hurdle and South Australian Grand National Hurdle winner Our Aristocrat and Our Rockhampton.
AAP TURF
