Family partnership delivers Warrnambool Cup to Any Luck

After piloting Any Luck to a career highlight victory, jockey Kate Walters was overcome with emotion and shed tears.

Thursday's Listed Warrnambool Cup (2350m) represented her debut 'Black Type' triumph, dating back to her professional start in 2000.

As the offspring of trainer Wayne Walters, they jointly enjoyed the Warrnambool Cup prize, yet Kate gazed to the heavens on her way back to weigh in, contemplating another rider.

In post-race comments, Walters shared that her mind turned to Dean Holland, deceased in a fall at Donald slightly more than three years earlier.

"Dean was one of my best friends," Walter told racing.com.

"I knew him before he had all of the tatts and I'm the one who would get him drunk.

"I miss him all-the-time, especially at this Carnival and I'd do anything to have him back."

Any Luck, a $41 longshot, improved on her fourth in Tuesday's 2350m benchmark 70, edging the $4 market leader Alder by half a head, with Tempesti at $8.50 a further 1-¾ lengths back in third.

The mare Any Luck has been ridden by Walters in every one of her 47 races, yielding eight successes and prizemoney exceeding $440,000.

"I know her inside and out and I've ridden her since she was two," Walter said.

"I thought her run on Tuesday was huge and she dropped 5-½ kilos today.

"She's tough as Alder got in front of her and she kicked back.

"I said to Dad that as we had drawn the outside gate, we should go back, but he said don't go too far back.

"So, it worked out in his favour."

Primarily a country track rider, Walters has flirted with Black Type glory in the past, notably on Any Luck's sire Puccini during a Group 3 in Adelaide.

Trainer Walters mentioned that Luckzat, dam of Any Luck, had achieved fourth in the 2013 Warrnambool Cup.

Any Luck showed a lack of peak fitness when fourth at Terang two starts prior, trainer Walters explained, highlighting the weight relief from Tuesday as key.

"She knocked up here the other day after pulling it's brains out and I thought she would be right for Thursday," Walters said.

"Plus, she carried 59-½ (kilos) on Tuesday and dropped to 54 today."

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