James Winks landed his first metropolitan winner since returning from Hong Kong a month ago when first starter Rock Face fought back strongly to win the Burrabil Handicap at Sandown.Winks rode 15 winners including a Group One victory aboard Dim Sum in the 2009 Chairman's Prize from around 300 rides in his 12 months in Hong Kong.He has been riding mainly for Danny O'Brien since returning and it was the Flemington trainer who supplied him with Wednesday's winner.Winks' association with O'Brien inc
James Winks landed his first metropolitan winner since returning from Hong Kong a month ago when first starter Rock Face fought back strongly to win the Burrabil Handicap at Sandown.
Winks rode 15 winners including a Group One victory aboard Dim Sum in the 2009 Chairman's Prize from around 300 rides in his 12 months in Hong Kong.
He has been riding mainly for Danny O'Brien since returning and it was the Flemington trainer who supplied him with Wednesday's winner.
Winks' association with O'Brien includes his Group One wins aboard Absolut Glam in the 2008 Winter Stakes at Eagle Farm and Douro Valley in the 2008 Yalumba Stakes at Caulfield.
"The riding ranks are that strong here at the moment, you go to ride work somewhere and you are third or fourth in line," Winks said.
"Danny has already been good to me. It's taken me a while to get a city winner but I'll just keep chipping away and hopefully I'll be able to build on it."
Winks said he hadn't been able to pick up a ride at Saturday's Caulfield meeting featuring the Group One CF Orr Stakes.
"I was going to go to Sydney to ride Danleigh but I've missed out due to a misunderstanding," he said.
The Chris Waller-trained Danleigh, a dual Group One winner, will resume in the Group Two Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Sent out at $3.30, Rock Face kicked back strongly when challenged by Off The Planet ($3 fav) to score by a long neck with Womby Princess ($4.20) 3-1/4 lengths away third.
A three-year-old colt by Encosta De Lago, Rock Face is a half-brother to 2004 Group Three Bobbie Lewis Handicap winner Face Value who was runner-up in the 2003 Caulfield Guineas and is now standing at stud at Lindsay Park, Angaston, in South Australia.
Darren Gauci had just one ride at the Sandown meeting and won on Clangalang three-year-old filly Hi Belle ($6) in the Shame Hcp (1300m) for Pakenham trainer John Gunning.
Leading trainer David Hayes also had only one runner, Flash Gift, who led all the way and broke the course record in the Hussonet At Arrowfield Stud Handicap.
Ridden by Dan Nikolic, Flash Gift ($7) ran the 1500m trip in 1:29.35, breaking the old Hillside mark held by Infinite Grace by 0.47s.
The Dash For Cash four-year-old gelding scored by a length from The Cossack ($8.50) with Kronstan ($4.60) three-quarters of a length away third.