Earthquake Escapee Wins First City Race
- Wednesday, 31 August 2011 06:15
Ashlee Mundy's decision to escape earthquake-ravaged Christchurch five months ago reaped its reward when the former Kiwi jockey landed her first Australian metropolitan winner at Eagle Farm.
Mundy produced a daring ride on the Bevan Laming-trained debutant The Best who edged out Dark Charger by a nose in Wednesday's Forest & Jungle IPG Maiden (1000m).
The Best looked in a hopeless position coming to the home turn and was at long odds to win halfway down the straight when held up for a run until the three-year-old bullocked his way between runners into the clear.
Mundy, 24, has had less than a dozen rides on Brisbane's city tracks but had more than 200 wins in her home land before joining Laming's stables.
"I first came over in `09 and worked for Bevan for a short while before I went back home," Mundy said.
"I was at home in Christchurch when we got the two earthquakes and the second one was enough and gave me a good reason to come back over.
"After the earthquakes I thought I just needed a break from it all but the weather was another good reason.
"It's not hard to choose between Christchurch's weather and the weather here."
Since joining Laming, Mundy has ridden 10 winners, all on provincials tracks until The Best's victory.
"I've been riding for around seven years after doing a lot of work around pony clubs in New Zealand," Mundy said.
Mundy, who was apprenticed to Kiwi trainer Michael Pittman before breaking into the senior ranks, believes The Best has a promising future.
"Wait until the penny drops with him," she said.
"This is only the second time he's been away from Bevan's property. The other was for a trial at the Gold Coast.
"He's so green and still won. He was very green on the home turn but I thought at the 200 metres he could still win."
Mundy doesn't model herself on any particular rider but her performance to angle The Best into clear running would have done champion Kiwi jockey Lisa Cropp proud.
"I don't try and follow any rider but all the female riders would love to be like Lisa," she said.
Meanwhile, former Sydney sprinter Lemieux showed a liking for heavy tracks by stretching his winning run to four with a short head victory over Che Casino in the Terry Mays Lia Handicap (1600m).
Trainer Paul Messara sent the five-year-old son of Redoute's Choice to his Caloundra stable during the winter and his only defeat in five starts since was at his first outing when runner-up there in June.
Stable foreman Eden Petrie thought Lemieux was gone after surrendering the lead to Che Casino at the 200 metres.
"I thought at the 200 metres he was hopeless but he fought back well," Petrie said.
"Paul has a synthetic track at home (in Scone) and he thought he'd do best racing up here on the cushion track at Caloundra."
