Leading South Island apprentice jockey Samantha Wynne will not forget her last feature meeting in the South as an apprentice.
Wynne dominated proceedings at the Oamaru Jockey Club's Oamaru Cup meeting yesterday, winning five races including the two $30,000 features, the Waitaki River Trophy and the Oamaru Cup.
Wynne will leave the apprentice ranks in two weeks when the new season rolls around or, as she described it, "then I'm a big girl by myself''.
Based on her performance yesterday, she has nothing to worry about.
Wynne has now won seven races with Miss Three Stars after the Tommy Beckett-trained mare unleashed a strong bid to win the Oamaru Cup.
Beckett has been patient since March's Riverton Cup, as he steers the mare towards the Winter Cup next month.
"We brought her back, then slowly worked her up to run a mile [1600m],'' Beckett said.
"Sam Wynne makes a difference with her riding her too.''
Owned by the Three Star Syndicate, which features patrons of the Mosgiel Tavern, the 6yr-old impressed Wynne in her preliminary run around to the starting gates.
"She gave me an amazing feeling and I was pretty confident when I got down [to the start],'' Wynne said.
"I was in the bad ground earlier in the race, but once we got out on the good ground and got some clear air, she just motored. She was about 100m in front of the field by the time I pulled her up.
"I think me and the mare just click ... and Tommy has done a great job.''
Wynne also got an extra effort out of Pacific Choice over the last 200m to claim the Waitaki River Trophy for Riccarton trainer Terri Rae.
The final furlong has been the undoing for the 6yr-old mare in recent 1200m efforts, although she has her excuses, Rae said.
"Look, she's getting to be a bit of an old girl now,'' Rae said.
"She's had three wind operations so she's doing really well.
"Running down the straight at Riccarton is quite hard work for her, so it was nice to come here to a small track and a good money day.''
Rae will find a race for Pacific Choice at the upcoming Grand National carnival at Riccarton, as will Michael Daly with the in-form Mystic Power after his rating 65 1600m win to start the day.
Daly had tempered his hopes of victory prior to the meeting yesterday, due to the track improving to a slow7 along with a wide draw.
"If it had rained, I would have been even more confident,'' Daly said. ‘‘As it turned out, I didn't need the rain.''
Daly trained Mystic Dane, the dam of Mystic Power, and is pleased to see the apple has not fallen far from the tree.
"His mother won about three races, but didn't have too many starts and broke down so we didn't see the best of her,'' he said.
While the dam might have had the talent, Daly was worried the gelding's attitude might not be tough enough for a successful racing career.
The son of D'Cash is best described as a lazy track worker.
"I always thought he was a soft sort of horse, but he's proven me wrong - it's nice to be proven wrong that way.''
