Champion jumps jockey Steve Pateman may have been winless as a rider at Sandown, but Lion’s Share has provided his first city win as a trainer.
Grand National Hurdle day may not have worked out on the riding front for Steven Pateman, but he left Sandown on Sunday having prepared his first city winner.
While the champion jumps jockey went winless in the three jumps races on Sunday’s card, Lion’s Share put a smile on Pateman’s face with her victory in the Ladbrokes Switch Handicap (2400m).
Pateman finished second aboard Ablaze in the Crisp Steeplechase before Mawaany Machine finished third as the $2.25 favourite in the Ladbrokes Hurdle before Saunter Boy failed to finish in the Grand National Hurdle.
“How good is training, bugger riding over jumps,” Pateman said after Lion’s Share’s win.
A race after Saunter Boy, Pateman cheered from the grandstand as Lion’s Share ($15) under John Allen registered a half-length win from Gundown ($15) with the $5 Neds favourite Swindon Lass a short-head away third.
Pateman said he had been trying to get Allen to ride the mare for some time, but the ride only came about when Rhys McLeod fell ill following an earlier win on Mynumerouno.
“I know he is tied up with the big stables but it’s just never worked out and sure enough, he picks up the ride, rode her an absolute peach and we’re delighted to have our first metro winner,” Pateman said.
“We always wanted to get her to Sandown and we always wanted to get Johnny on her.”
Lion’s Share was comfortably beaten at Murray Bridge at her previous outing and Pateman resorted to applying a hanoverian nose band on the mare.
“Today it just worked out for her,” Pateman said.
“Murray Bridge was a nice race for her but she definitely choked down because she was too bad to be true.
“That will do her confidence really good. She is a mare who will just stay in work too, she doesn’t spell well.”
