Mangan seals Tassie return
WHEN Victorian-born jockey Rhonda Mangan lost her claiming allowance in Tasmania about 18 months ago she headed back to her home state, but without any idea what the future might hold.
Accompanied by her partner and fellow jockey Grant Challinger, the pair set about riding trackwork at Flemington before she decided to take out a jockey-trainer licence.
That move brought her back to Tasmania after prominent owner-breeders Rick and Tina Polly offered to set her up with a team of horses at their property at Sorell.
In Hobart on Sunday Mangan, 42, rode and trained her second winner in the space of a week when first-time starter Pontypaul scored an emphatic win in a maiden over 1200m.
Pontypaul was backed in from $6.50 to start the $4.60 second-elect behind the also well-backed favourite Going Purple ($2.50) from the Scott Brunton stable.
The win came only a week after Mangan created history when she rode and trained outsider Perez ($63) to a convincing victory in a maiden in Devonport.
“Everything is starting to fall into place for us and while I was quite surprised when Perez won in Devonport we were reasonably confident about Pontypaul winning and I’m rapt for the owner,” Mangan said.
“I love Tassie and when we got the chance to come back and set up to train we jumped at it, and that I get to continue to race ride is a bonus.
“We have about 15 horses in work and a few babies we are breaking in so the future looks quite promising.” COMEBACK jockey Jason Maskiell continues to impress with his effort to secure victory aboard the Tegan Keystrained Minute Repeater, one of the rides of the meeting.
Maskiell had the gelding settled near the rear of the field before calling on the son of Danbird leaving the back straight.
It was Maskiell’s strength and vigour that ensured the narrow victory over deadheaters Love Magic and Kuusela. REIGNING premier jockey David Pires ended the meeting with a double courtesy of top rides aboard Agree To in a benchmark 68 handicap over 1400m, and Our Shanakee, both of which are trained by Scott Brunton, who prepared three for the day.
Brinton’s other winner was Box of Frogs in an open handicap and he was partnered by Craig Newitt, who also rode a double.
Newitt and his wife, Karli, and four children relocate to Tasmania today.
They have rented a property at Shearwater where they expect to stay for 12 months, which will give them time to find a suitable property to buy.