Ultra-consistent mare Test The World has won a dramatic feature at Rosehill that doubled as a tribute to jockey Samara Johnson.
The Bjorn Baker-trained four-year-old claimed the Mark Hughes Foundation Handicap by a head on Saturday to boost her record to six wins from 10 starts.
Test The World ($3.80) pipped $2.25 favourite Bon Amis, with To Excess ($9.50) a further length away.
Highly Geared, the sentimental favourite, finished seventh for Canberra trainer Garry Kirkup, who watched the race unfold from his bed in Canberra Hospital.
Kirkup suffered serious abdominal injuries when the car he was driving struck a tree in the NSW Riverina last Sunday.
His partner Johnson, a popular track work and picnic jockey, died at the scene.
An image of Johnson on horseback, accompanied by a message of condolence, was screened track side before the race.
Former Canberra apprentice Rachel Hunt rode Highly Geared – a $61 outsider – after Kirkup’s son Ben sought a rider with connections to the capital’s racing industry to take part in the tribute for Johnson.
While Highly Geared was not expected to win, there was a setback for Gary Portelli’s Magic Millions 3YO Guineas contender Single Bullet.
The three-year-old colt finished at the tail of the field after copping interference early in the 1100m trip.
In contrast, Test The World had a smooth journey under Tim Clark second-up to maintain her record of never finishing outside the top three.
“She’s a stakes-class horse. She’s on her way to better things,” Baker said.
He said there were no specific plans for Test The World.
“We might give her a few weeks between runs after this,” he said.
