Amy McLucas guides Madrina to overdue win
Determined to make the most of the exodus of senior riders to Brisbane and finish the final two months of her apprenticeship with a bang, Amy Mclucas got off to a flying start at Randwick with an all-the-win aboard Tulloch Lodge filly Madrina.
The 24-year-old brought up her 12th city win of the season and 27th overall as she looks to consolidate her place in the riding ranks before the end of her indentures in August.
“It’s these opportunities in the winter that I need to help me when I come out of my time to keep me rolling along,” McLucas said.
“I was worried early in the run, she was changing legs a bit.
“But I think she was a little bit green still. She will get a lot of confidence from that.”
As will McLucas, who took Madrina ($3.70) to the front and dictated terms at a moderate tempo, allowing the youngster to give a strong kick in the straight and score a comfortable 2-1/4 length win over her Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained stablemate Buckingham Palace ($7).
Shamadan started a $2.70 betting app favourite and worked home late to grab third, another length away.
Neil Paine, representing the Waterhouse-Bott stable to which McLucas is apprenticed, said the race was an easy watch with their two runners prominent throughout and suited by the slow tempo.
“They would have had to run home in nothing to beat her and as it turns out, we have run first and second so the quinella is beautiful,” Paine said.
“It is great that Gai and Adrian claimed on her as she is not a real big filly, she’s only small.
“But take nothing away from the second horse, Buckingham Palace kept trying hard so it was good effort by both.
“They will be nice horses in the future.”
Madrina’s win in Saturday’s Schweppes Handicap (1100m) was well deserved, the filly having finished runner-up at three of her four prior starts.
She also continued Tulloch Lodge’s heady two-year-old season, Waterhouse and Bott winning 30 juvenile races so far this term, including the Golden Slipper with Lady Of Camelot.
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