Victories with a pair of promising first-starters at Wanganui on Saturday provided jockey Kelly Myers with the 50th and 51st wins of her career at the track.
Myers brought up her Wanganui half-century with a hard-fought win aboard Landlock in the opening race on Saturday's card, the Pilet Contracting/Pioneer Seeds 2YO (800m).
Little was known about the northern raider, who had no trials before being sent south by Matamata trainer Cody Cole to make his debut in Saturday's $40,000 juvenile dash.
But after settling in third behind the front-running Princess Elsa and Ensign Area, Landlock kicked through on the inside of that pair to boldly stake his claim at the corner.
Princess Elsa saw him coming and lifted again, and that pair pulled ahead of the rest of the field to fight out a head-bobbing finish. Landlock prevailed by a nose, with Princess Elsa finishing three and a quarter lengths in front of the third-placed Almakeitgood.
"He hadn't had any trials leading into this, and I think Cody was almost using this race as a bit of a trial," Myers said. "The horse has a bit of improvement in him and has obviously got a lot of ability as well."
Cole paid just $20,000 to buy Landlock from Woburn Farm's Book 2 draft at Karaka 2024. The gelding is Karaka Millions-eligible, and the $23,000 stake he won on Saturday takes him straight to the top of the order of entry for the rich Ellerslie sprint in late January.
Landlock is by Merchant Navy out of the winning Lonhro mare Blue Blue Sky, whose three winners from four foals to race also include the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) winner Bright Blue Sky and the talented Mr Blue Sky.
Just over half an hour after Landlock's winning debut, Myers struck again with fellow first-starter Wire Rope in the Treadwell Gordon/Marsh Insurance Brokers Maiden 3YO (1200m).
The Bill Thurlow-trained gelding had placed in one of his three trials before Saturday's debut, and the three-year-old produced an impressive come-from-behind performance in his first raceday assignment.
Myers rode a patient race at the back of the field behind a slow pace, then cruised up behind the leaders just before the home turn.
Wire Rope bounded up alongside Librero and Sand Point, then quickened stylishly and drew away through the final 300m to win by four lengths.
"I was pretty confident on the corner," Myers said. "The race worked out really well for him. He's obviously a first-starter and still has a bit to learn, but he has plenty of raw ability."
Bought by Thurlow's brother Grant for $40,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2023, Wire Rope is by Darci Brahma out of Halobelle, whose eight wins included the Listed Gore Guineas (1355m) and Hazlett Stakes (1200m). Halobelle is the dam of four winners from four foals to race, including Group Three winner Miss Federer and the Listed-placed Starlight Angel.
"He's a progressive horse and he went well today," Thurlow said. "We had to trial him on Wednesday because he'd been a bit naughty at Woodville before that, but that was all fine. We were pretty confident that he'd run well today.
"He seemed to travel beautifully the whole way. He settled well, then peeled out in the straight and won nicely.
"I think he's got a future. We'll go race-by-race with him for now, we haven't set anything for him yet, but I think there'll be a nice race in him somewhere."
