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Annelise King's golden run for Moruya trainer Luke Pepper culminated in the talented apprentice's first city winner on Wednesday afternoon.
Photo by Racing and Sports
The 17-year-old produced a superb ride on in-form six-year-old Freetoair to claim the Benchmark 70 fillies and mares race over 1200m at Canterbury, and her seventh salute for the Pepper stable in just 10 starts.
It was her fourth win aboard Freetoair in five starts on the horse and easily her most impressive. The Canberra youngster admitted her first metropolitan win still hadn't sunk in.
“I just couldn't believe it, I just thought this is so unreal, I still can't believe it,” King said.
“I don't have many opportunities to ride in town, I've only had five rides up until yesterday.
“All the other rides I had in town didn't really find the line, none of them finished in the placings anyway.
“Luke told me before the race that he was more confident going into this race than any of her previous races.
“She usually has a bit of toe out of the gates and we're always really positive. Yesterday she was positive out of the gates but they kept digging up inside so I just elected to come back and slot in one off.
“She just travelled so well throughout the race. I didn't move on her until I straightened.
“She just rounded them up so quick and hit the line so strong.”
Pepper has earmarked a race at Rosehill for his in-form mare next weekend, and said King would definitely retain the ride.
“She just can't be faulted at the moment, Pepper said.
“She's got it all there, probably her best asset is she's very strong hands and heels.”
“She just does exactly what you tell her, she's a very good listener and she's got a level head. She doesn't let it over-faze her at all, she's nice and calm and every one she's ridden for me she's ridden them to the tee and hasn't put a foot wrong.”
“That's all you can ask especially from a kid of her age.”
King spent the early stages of her apprenticeship indentured to Len Hodgson, but has been on loan to this season's leading Canberra trainer Keith Dryden for the past two months, where she plans to stay.
And she could be rewarded with some silverware at season's end. The youngster sits just one win behind fellow Canberra talent Kayla Nisbet in the Thoroughbred Park apprentice premiership.
Time will tell whether that trophy is forthcoming this season. It'd sit nicely along her prized city win.