A pilot error aboard Honey Pie cost Tom Sadler a chance of riding his first Victorian quartet at Tatura last week but the talented apprentice atoned for that defeat with victory aboard the mare in a Rising Stars heat at Benalla on Tuesday, reports Racing Victoria.
Sadler partnered the Ross McDonald-trained four-year-old to a maiden-breaking win in the JVS Timber Wilson Medic One Rising Stars Handicap (1406m), picking up maximum points in Victoria’s premier apprentice-only race series.
The 19-year-old rider said he was happy to win for connections today after admitting his ride was to blame for Honey Pie not joining Schneller, Human League and Bierbower on his list of winners at last Tuesday’s Tatura meeting.
“I rode her the wrong way at Tatura (last start), I rode her to suit the track and not the horse,” Sadler said.
“Today Clinton (McDonald) said to go back, take a sit and ride her the way she needs to be ridden and she responded accordingly.”
The advice from the stable to let the untapped mare settle midfield proved inspired with Sadler able to assume a position on the rails, two pairs behind leader and race favourite Shivoo, ridden by defending Rising Stars winner Jye McNeil.
Sadler angled the daughter of Bianconi to the centre of the track after straightening and she responded to his riding with a powerful turn-of-foot to overcome the on-pacers and see off a late challenge from the Nick Heywood-ridden Sultana.
The win took Sadler’s Rising Stars tally to 14 points, equal with Katelyn Mallyon and Regan Bayliss and trailing only dual-heat winner Jye McNeil (28 points) and Jackie Beriman (16).
The popular series, which offers lucrative prizes and trophies to the winner, now heads to Mornington on Thursday, 9 October.
The full results and free race replays from today’s Benalla meeting are available here.
The updated leaderboard for this season’s Wilson Medic One Rising Stars Series isavailable here.