Eleanor Webster-Hawes had the ride for the four-year-old bay mare in the Look After Your Mates Maiden Plate (1200 metres), the jockey guiding Happiest, who was paying $3.80, to a strong victory by more than two lengths. 

The win came in just the second start from the mare from Snitzel x Amourous. 

Andrew Ryan said it was a nice the mare that he and his father Don bred.

"It was only her second start, so she went well," he said. 

"We bred her. We own the mare (Amourous) but this is her last foul and she's retired now. 

"It was great run and Cowra is a wonderful track, a wonderful circuit. You're not only confident they'll race well on that track but they'll come through well too."

Happiest started the race from barrier 10 and as the second-best odds on winner, behind favourite Mad As Zariz ($2.30).

When the horses jumped, Webster-Hawes worked the mare to the front and built a handy lead after 400 metres, pulling ahead of rival horses See For Yourself ($5) and Mad As Zariz, in second and third respectively.

The race proved competitive until the final stretch, where Webster-Hawes pulled Happiest away from the challenging See For Yourself and Mad As Zariz to to win on the Good 4 track in a time of 1:09.81. 

The two challenging horses were caught out and missed out on placings, as Our Blue Moon ($7.50) and Cinnamon Cloud ($18) taking out second and third respectively.

See For Yourself dropped to fifth and the race favourite went back to seventh, while New Zealand runner Fenerbache ($71) missed out on a placing in fourth. 

Ryan said he and his father Don will now work Happiest through the grades.

"We'll just slowly go through the grades with her," he said.

"We've got no grand plans, but we're just happy to get the win out of the way. It's a good starting point." 

Happiest's one and only other start came at Dubbo on February 3.

The four-year-old mare was caught up in a competitive finished, with just over one metre separating first place Ramingining and fifth placed Happiest.

Happiest was the only starter for Don and Andrew Ryan at Cowra, but Bathurst was represented by other trainers including Dean Mirfin and his eight-year-old gelding Sovereignaire. 

Peter Stanley also had a starting horse at Cowra on Monday, his six year-old mare Claradale Lass running 10^th in the Ronald McDonald House Charity Class One and Maiden Plate (1620 metres).