Trainer Robbie Laing walked away from Caulfield on Wednesday with a winning double and he will be back on Saturday confident of an even bigger win.
Laing prepared two horses at different stages of their careers to win at the midweek meeting, with eight-year-old Rowland scoring in a 2425-metre event before two-year-old Just For Starters stepped out for his debut and claimed The Grand Hotel Frankston Handicap (1000m).
On Saturday Laing has odds-on favourite Lord Of The Sky set to chase back-to-back Group Three victories in the Bletchingly Stakes.
Rowland helped apprentice Katelyn Mallyon move closer to a second Melbourne apprentices’ premiership while Just For Starters provided jockey Vlad Duric with a timely boost in his first meeting back from two months out due to a thumb injury.
Laing thought Just For Starters ($11) could be competitive on the strength of two jumpouts, and after settling just behind the leaders the gelding chased down Just Magical to score by three quarters of a length.
“I had him up and trialling with Boomwaa in the spring but he had a few little niggling knee issues,” Laing said.
“But he seems alright now.”
Duric, who returned from ligament damage in a thumb, said it was good to get a winner quickly on his return.
“I trialled this horse for Robbie the other day and he trialled nicely,” Duric said.
“I just felt if he made natural improvement he would be competitive. He’s just a real trier and he’s got a bright future.”
Rowland failed to beat a runner home at Flemington on Saturday in a 2000-metre open handicap but relished getting onto slow going at Caulfield.
Mallyon made a move on the gelding from back in the field to take the lead well before the home turn and Rowland ($9) kept going to win by 4-1/4 lengths.
The victory was also the first leg of a winning double for Mallyon who later guided Neverending Valley to a long neck win over Hard Romp in the Deadly Design Handicap (1000m).
Mallyon’s second city double in as many meetings has moved her four wins clear of Jye McNeil in the apprentices’ premiership with only two meetings left.
