Commando Hunt has given jockey Kathy O’Hara the 1000th win of her career with victory in the TAB Highway Handicap at Kembla Grange.

O’Hara has been a pioneer for female jockeys, becoming the first woman to win a Sydney metropolitan riders’ title when she finished the 2004-05 season as champion apprentice.

She has gone on to forge a successful career, highlighted by two Group One triumphs including the 2012 Coolmore Classic aboard Ofcourseican.

Saturday’s Kembla meeting brought up another important achievement for O’Hara, who said she set herself a target to chase down the 1000-winner milestone.

“It’s a small goal that I set myself a little while ago, so it’s nice to get that done,” O’Hara said.

“It was nice to atone with this horse. He was really unlucky the other day first-up and he should have just about won there. He had a beautiful run today, so he made right up for it.”

Trained by Cameron Crockett at Scone, Commando Hunt was a luckless fourth to Sunrise Ruby in a Highway Handicap at Randwick two weeks ago when he drifted back in the field after being bumped on jumping.

O’Hara bounced him out of the gates on Saturday before letting him find his feet midfield and while favourite Philipsburg was chopped out of runs in the straight, Commando Hunt ($7) sailed down the outside to defeat What Sin ($12) by a half-length with Danzadel ($5) another 1-1/4 lengths away third.

Crockett described the four-year-old as a quirky horse and said the trip to Kembla would benefit him.

“The whole experience will do the horse good,” Crockett said.

Philipsburg was eased down by Josh Parr and finished ninth and while he had no luck in the straight, Parr told stewards the horse felt “one-paced”.

Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au