New kid on the block Campbell Rawiller showcased his skills as a jumps jockey with a double at Sandown over hurdles.
After winning aboard the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Teofilo Star in the Ladbroke It! Hurdle (3400m) on Sunday, Rawiller was back 35 minutes later to claim one of the day’s features, the Australian Hurdle (3900m) aboard Circle The Sun for the doyen of Australian jumps trainers Eric Musgrove.
Rawiller commenced race riding over jumps last month, scoring at his debut race aboard Circle The Sun at Pakenham.
From 14 rides over jumps, Rawiller has ridden six hurdle winners, five of which have been aboard Circle The Sun and Teofilo Star.
“It’s more than a thrill, it’s a dream come true,” Rawiller said of Sunday’s win on Circle The Sun.
“I said during the week that I could not have dreamt six months ago that I would be on a horse like Circle The Sun in an Australian Hurdle being as a good chance as he was.”
Riding the speed throughout, Circle The Sun ($4.80) scored a six-length win from San Remo ($31) with Blandford Lad ($4.80) a further 2-½ lengths away third.
The jumps newcomer has spent time learning the ins and outs of being a jumps jockey riding out with ‘The Professor’ Steven Pateman who was aboard the $1.90 ladbrokes favourite Saunter Boy that finished fourth.
Rawiller said he was conscious of where Pateman was during Sunday’s race.
“I noticed he was quite close to me up the straight the first time around,” Rawiller said.
“I was conscious of not letting him kick up on my inside, so I was having a couple of looks back to my inside to make sure ‘The Professor’ was not going to out professor me with any professor moves that he is so good for.
“Credit to Saunter Boy he carried a lot of weight today, but credit to my horse too, to have done this so early in his jumps career.
“He probably didn’t get around the circuit as well as he could. He got in quite close to a number of his jumps, but to his credit he was able to maintain a good gallop and never lost too much momentum.
“He’s just so tough.”
However, Rawiller’s victory was soured with a $3000 fine by Racing Victoria Stewards for being in breach of the whip rules.
Circle The Sun’s victory was Musgrove’s first in the Australian Hurdle since Karasi in 2004.
“He’s a lovely horse,” Musgrove said.
“He’s only young and has a fair way to go, but he’s done everything right.
“The big difference in the weights helped and Saunter Boy probably hit four or five jumps pretty hard which took a bit away from him on the day.”