DEAN Mirfin’s Worldly Pleasure picked up her second win in three starts for the Bathurst trainer after come out ahead in a photo finish at Orange’s New Year’s meeting.
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Worldly Pleasure ($5.50) went stride for stride with Bjorn Baker’s favourite Terra Reign ($1.50) down the entire straight but the Bathurst mare prevailed by a short half head in the XXXX Gold F&M Benchmark 58 Handicap (1,280 metres).
The ride on Worldly Pleasure was the only one of the day for jockey Eleanor Webster-Hawes but she made it count.
The jockey she beat home, Greg Ryan, enjoyed an excellent day in the saddle.
Ryan had won the previous race at the Towac Park meeting and went on to win the next two races following his narrow runner-up result.
“I just got beaten in the second race unfortunately but it’s a good day so far,” he said after riding All Too Good to a come-from-last win in the fourth event over 1000 metres.
Ryan said Orange’s overnight rain had helped more than the farmers as he was make good use of the tricky surface.
“I’ve got some good rides today but the track’s had a bit of rain here last night, the track’s a bit softer inside which has just suited a couple of my horses pretty well,” he said.
“They have got into the right part of the track where it’s a little bit firmer.
“Two of them have been the best horses in the race, one of them not so much.
“They just got on the right line on the track and been the best horse on the day.”
All Too Good, trained by Gary Portelli, was returning from a spell at Towac Park.
It eased out of equal favouritism late in the betting to start second favourite behind Unimpeded.
Unimpeded, trained by Bjorn Baker and ridden by Chad Lever, caused some concern with an upset entrance to the track but that soon ended when the race started.
Unimpeded ran strongly at the front of the eight horse field until being beaten virtually on the line by All Too Good.
Ryan said All Too Good started slower with the pace faster in a shorter distance race than it had been used to.
“He was running over a bit further, another 400 to 600 metres at his last preparation, he’s first back from a spell today,” he said.
“He just couldn’t go the pace early.
“Normally I wouldn’t have been able to win the race from where he got to but with the track having rain on it last night and being soft on the inside today it has allowed him to get back there and keep the momentum going around the outside of the field.”