Jye McNeil’s misfortune at the Mornington jump-outs turned into a golden opportunity for Jamie Mott, who capitalized on the last-minute ride to steer Bancory Bay to victory at Sandown.

In a tightly contested Evergreen Handicap (1500m), Mott had to dig deep to overcome She Nailed It before fending off a strong late challenge from Rapid Cheval to secure the win on Wednesday.

McNeil was forced to withdraw from his scheduled rides at Sandown after a horse flipped over on the Melbourne Cup-winning jockey at Mornington earlier in the day. He underwent scans for a potential leg injury but remains hopeful of being cleared to ride Place Du Carrousel in the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.

Bancory Bay, trained by Mike Moroney and Glen Thompson, secured his second career win from nine starts. Thompson believes the hard-fought victory will boost the gelding’s confidence moving forward.

Tracking the leader She Nailed It, Bancory Bay surged ahead in the final stretch on the Hillside course, with the rest of the field trailing by six lengths.

The thrilling finish saw Bancory Bay ($6.50) edge out Rapid Cheval ($2.80) by a short half-head, while She Nailed It ($51) finished just a half-head behind in third.

“Speaking to Jamie before the race, it worked out the way he thought,” Thompson said.

“We wanted to be positive from the gate, and we knew that horse would lead. He rated him well, and we were just holding our breath late, waiting for the line to come up.

“Jamie’s a strong rider and really got the best out of him.

“We’ve always had a bit of an opinion of this horse, and it’s great to see him starting to fulfill his potential. Hopefully, this win gives him the confidence to build on.”