Hurry to Meetmein Melbourne
Go to the front and gradually improve your position.
That could have been the instructions from trainers Tony & Calvin McEvoy to apprentice Ryan Houston when he rode Meetmein Melbourne on the Ballarat Synthetic on Friday, August 18.
Contesting the CUB Fillies & Mares Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m), Meetmein Melbourne ($1.30 fav) jumped to the front and was never threatened scoring by nine lengths from Birthday Suit ($4.20) with Boadicea ($9) a length away third.
Houston established an early break on the four-year-old mare and just kept running to win easily.
Trainer Calvin McEvoy said it had been an easy watch.
“That was fantastic,” McEvoy said, “Ryan made a good thing of it.
“It looked like we had found a perfect race for her, and it panned out beautifully.
“We’ve actually been trying to find a turf race for her, maybe in Adelaide on a Saturday.
“She has got a great pedigree, and if we could get some metropolitan success, it would enhance her value.
“A big shout out to the major owner Ray Pawsey and his wife Robyn who are overseas celebrating Ray’s 70th birthday and he would have got a great kick out of the win.
“It has been a coincidence that she has been running on the synthetic, but we will be looking to step her up in grade.”
Winning jockey Ryan Houston said it had been an impressive, and easy, win.
“We jumped out quite well, decided to lead and that was where I wanted to be,” Houston said.
“I rated her, it was sweet, and we got there.
“It went silent past the 200 (metre mark), but I thought we better keep going and we did it easy.
“They (Tony & Calvin) are such a powerhouse stable; it was good to get a first winner for them.