Shred’s triumph over her adversity

WITH a career-best win under her belt, the Ryan stable is hopeful apprentice hoop Rachel Shred’s career will go ahead in leaps and bounds from here.

The Tablelands-based Shred has had a stop-start few years in the saddle, suffering a couple of bad falls, one at Townsville and another at Cooktown last year, which led to long injury lay-offs.

The 22-year-old jockey collected the highest honour in her riding career on Saturday, snaring the $10,000 Johnstone River Open Handicap (1200m) on veteran stable sprinter Tambo’s Heart at Pease Park in Innisfail.

The Ryan yard, trainer Janel Ryan and second-incharge Ronnie, have mentored Shred over the last few years and believe the Innisfail sprint feature is just what she needs.

“She rode to instructions, it will be a good boost for her, she did everything right,” Ronnie said.

“She rated the horse well in front, we are very proud of her.

“I think this would be her biggest win of her career.

“Rachel has been doing things right, but when jockeys have falls like that – she had a couple of nasty ones – it takes a bit out of a kid like her.”

Tambo’s Heart’s is the Ryan stable’s seventh win in the Johnstone River Handicap.

The nine-year-old bay gelding has now won 16 races during his career.

The Johnstone River Handicap was a Country Stampede Qualifier race, but Tambo’s Heart is unlikely to head to Brisbane, as he has not gone around in enough nonTAB races to eligible.

It was a massive win for Tambo’s Heart, carrying 62.5kg and coming from the wide gate of 10.

He won from the Scott Cooper-trained Hot Shot Harry by almost two lengths.