It was a case of welcome to Queensland for jockey Heavelon Van Der Hoven who scored his first win in his second ride since moving to the Sunshine State from Sydney when he saluted aboard the Annabel and Rob Archibald trained Louisburgh at Doomben on Wednesday.
Louisburgh, who was shedding his Maiden ticket at his ninth start, had been knocking at the door for some time having finished either second or third in all five of previous starts this preparation.
Louisburg did start as the $2.50 betting site favourite on the back of his exposed form, but he really had to earn the win, with Van Der Hoven ending the four-year-old into a clear lead early before he was joined approaching the home turn by the Tony Gollan trained Some Style (the $3.10 second favourite), who, likewise, was trying to claim an elusive win, first-up, after finishing as runner-up in the final two starts of his last preparation.
Louisburgh digs deep to take the opener at Doomben!
A tough win to kick off the card in style for @HeavelonVan and @ANeashamRacing 💪@BrisRacingClub pic.twitter.com/Ku4ubbaL7M
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 6, 2025
These two runners then became engaged in a stride for stride battle down the home straight, with neither horse prepared to give ground, which resulted in a very tight finish which went the way of Louisburgh and Van Der Hoven by the narrowest of margins.
Van Der Hoven made the decision to relocate to Brisbane following a discussion with the Archibald camp about the support that might be forthcoming from that powerful stable and the arrangement has now kicked off with the perfect start.
This result will be a further confidence booster for Van Der Hoven, who also left Sydney with a very satisfying win at Randwick on the last Saturday of last season, which was his first Metropolitan success in New South Wales.
The game is about momentum. That Randwick win came after a bit of a drought for Van Der Hoven … but he has now recorded two metropolitan wins in two states from his last three rides, a welcome, noteworthy shift in fortunes as he looks to make his mark in a new racing precinct.
