Purvis looked to be punching the air in jubilation after winning on Annie Fitz yesterday, but that was not quite the case.
Instead a reserved Purvis was simply trying to tuck her whip away when it got caught in her winner’s tail, she said.
She still got a thrill from bagging her first driving double.
‘‘It’s a huge thrill. When I started out I didn’t even think about ever driving a double,’’ she said.
The sometimes excellent and sometimes disappointing Annie Fitz produced her best when urged up the Ascot Park passing lane by Purvis.
The driver said the Ross Wilson-trained mare simply needed the breaks to go her way.
‘‘If she gets the right done, she definitely has enough speed to get the money and that was exactly what happened today,’’ Purvis said yesterday.
Earlier, Purvis drove Springbank Ella to win race 3.
The victory capped a remarkable career so far for the Phil Williamson-trained trotter.
The Sundon mare was tried as a juvenile by her breeders but looked unlikely to make a classic horse, which prompted her breeders, Alistair and Denise Smith, to send her to the broodmare paddock.
Springbank Ella was mated with sire Monkey Bones and left a colt foal that is now a 3yr-old.
The horse returned to work last year after being leased from the Smiths by the Springbank Syndicate and Brian Ferns.
Purvis said she was grateful to the owners who had given her the chance to drive Springbank Ella as both stable drivers, Matthew and Brad Williamson, were free to take the reins, yesterday.
Springbank Ella has displayed faultless manners in the resurrection of her racing career and that would be a key to whether she could continue to be competitive up the ratings scale, Purvis said.
Classy 3yr-old Ana Malak overcame a tricky trip in transit to win race 7.
The Ken and Tony Barron-trained pacer and driver Blair Orange were forced to sit parked outside the leader, Leah Mac, for much of the race.
Leah Mac galloped before the 400m, enabling Ana Malak to run to the lead before coasting to the easiest of victories.
The victory took the horse’s record to three wins from four starts and puts him at the forefront of early calculations for the Southern Supremacy Stakes final later this season.
