Two fillies, both by first season sires, who did not carry the support of their respective stables at their career debuts, fought out the finish of a 2yo maiden over 1050m at Balaklava on Wednesday.
Caitlin Jones found a narrow seam between runners on the Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained gelding Riched to edge out the Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas-trained debutant Winning Weather by a head.
On the morning of the race Richard Jolly said Riched had trialled OK but believed he would need the run and would be better for it.
Riched becomes the fourth first crop winner for Rich Enuff and denied Winning Weather’s high-flying Nigh Of Thunder a sixth.
Purchased by his trainers for $60,000 out of the Woodside Park Stud draft at the 2019 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Riched is the second winner from three to race out of the winning Johannesburg (USA) mare Edikeni who is a half-sister to the Group II Bill Stutt Stakes winner and useful sire Churchill Downs.
