Racing
Chloe the early Beneficiary of senior life
It didn’t take long for Chloe Wells to establish herself as a senior jockey, securing a win at her first meeting after finishing her apprenticeship with Beneficiary ($1.55), winning a Class 3 (1420m) in Launceston on Wednesday night.
Wells has been aboard Beneficiary at all five of his career starts, winning four of them and making the wait worthwhile, having not made his racetrack debut until his five-year-old season.
"She rode him well tonight, that's probably how you have to ride him because if he gets pocketed, he finds it hard to pick up and sprint quick. He's deadest looking for further though, he'll get 2000m," said trainer Barry Campbell.
Wells positioned the short-priced favourite outside the leader, Coastal Strike ($10), removing bad luck from the equation and gaining a winning advantage over the placegetters, Georgaroni ($7.50) and Berserker ($5.50), who both settled behind him during the run.
"I'm very thankful for the support of not only Barry but everyone who puts me on. I wouldn't be able to do it without them," Chloe Wells said.
Wells is closing in on a career milestone, needing 10 more winners to reach 100.
Bridesmaid sheds the tag
Punters were on top early on the eight-race card with favourites winning the first five races. None of them was easier to pick than Momentslikethese ($1.24), who finally broke through at her fifth start with a dominant win in the opening race, a 2YO maiden over 1120m.
Prior to Wednesday night, Momentslikethese had accumulated $60,000 in prize money, all by finishing behind the state's top two-year-old, Aristopolos. The Stuart Gandy -trained filly made light work of the class drop, winning by 3.5 lengths.
"She's done nothing wrong, she's just chased a really good horse," said Gandy.
"I think 1400m is going to be her go and she should only improve as a three-year-old. She's been kept in really good condition by the team."
The win was the first half of a double for both Gandy and jockey Craig Newitt, with the pair teaming up late in the night with Golden Meadow $9) making it back-to-back wins with a victory in a BM68 (1220m).
Tasmania's leading apprentice, Jabez Johnstone, also had a winning double, securing wins aboard Woolclasser ($3.20) and Artillery Fire ($3.20) in the first half of the program.
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