Nash Rawiller returned from the Top End to kick-start his premiership defence in the best possible way with victory on Just The Tonic in Sydney's first metropolitan race of the season.Rawiller spent six days in the Northern Territory for the Darwin Cup carnival but made sure he was back in time to partner Just The Tonic to an impressive win at Canterbury on Wednesday in the Rosehill Gardens Event Centre Handicap (1200m).Making his race debut, Just The Tonic pushed forward to lead and showed he w
Nash Rawiller returned from the Top End to kick-start his premiership defence in the best possible way with victory on Just The Tonic in Sydney's first metropolitan race of the season.
Rawiller spent six days in the Northern Territory for the Darwin Cup carnival but made sure he was back in time to partner Just The Tonic to an impressive win at Canterbury on Wednesday in the Rosehill Gardens Event Centre Handicap (1200m).
Making his race debut, Just The Tonic pushed forward to lead and showed he was much better than midweek grade as he posted a 2-1/4-length winning margin.
"He's a really nice horse and I rushed my trip back (from Darwin) a little to ride today because he's been showing good ability at home," Rawiller said.
"I elected to come back to ride him and another horse for Gai (Waterhouse) today because I thought if I didn't come back I would have been up there watching him win and would have been disappointed.
"It gave me the opportunity to start off on a winning note."
Rawiller has won the past two Sydney jockeys' premierships and has established himself as one of the country's leading hoops since moving to Sydney in 2007.
Just The Tonic's victory was also a welcome start to the season for Waterhouse who said the Redoute's Choice gelding could head to feature spring races such as the Group One Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in Melbourne.
"He's a very exciting horse," Waterhouse said.
"He could be a Guineas horse, he's nominated for the Guineas."
Top Queensland-based jockey Glen Colless made the most of his short stay in Sydney when he was successful aboard the Alan Bailey-trained three-year-old filly God Bless Us who rushed home to win by a nose in the Ascot Club Handicap (1200m).
Colless only returned to the saddle in Brisbane last Saturday after spending three and a half weeks on the sidelines following a nasty fall at Doomben on July 6.
He made the trip for just the one ride before heading to Coffs Harbour where he'll try to win Thursday's Coffs Harbour Cup on the Bailey-trained Brave The Way.
"She (God Bless Us) is a nice filly that we've always had a good opinion of but she's just taken time to come right," Colless said.
"It's only my fifth ride back. I had really bad vertigo, I ruptured something in my middle ear and it took three weeks to get over it but it's good to be back with a winner."