Liz Aalbers clearly knows how to write a script.
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A win on her 75th birthday and final Boxing Day meeting at Wodonga Racecourse made it a fairy tale outing for the veteran local trainer.
Her day got off to a challenging start with Prairie Moon never in the mix in race two, but it all turned around with a win to Prairie Sun in the penultimate race, before a second place result in the last with Smooth Danish.
Appentice trainer Liam Riordan, who had only ridden for Aalbers once in the past, was delighted to bring home the perfect result in race five on Praire Sun.
“It was super,” Riordan said.
“She (Aalbers) thought the horse was going quite well into it and obviously I thought Smooth Danish was as well.
“Coming up and riding them I thought they’d be very competitive and they showed that today.”
“I’d ridden one horse (for Aalbers) before when I came second on Smooth Danish last start.
After a shaky ride on Prairie Moon in race two, which unfortunately resulted in a 10th place finish, the 19-year-old bounced back with two excellent rides.
“I lost my line on the first one and thought my day wasn’t going too good, but then we got a winner,” Riordan said.
“We just got beaten in the last one so it was obviously a good day for her.”
The Flemington-based rider had only been in the saddle for six months, but looked to have a bright future ahead on the Victorian racing scene.
Riordan is no stranger to the Border and learned his craft from a leading local trainer.
“I’ve been here a few times. I used to work for Brett Cavanough,” he said.
“He taught me how to ride and I used to come up here and do trials, so I love coming back here.”
Aalbers was pleased with the young jockey’s efforts on the day.
“He went rode well on Prairie Sun and the big horse (Smooth Danish),” she said.
“The other one he lost his compass a bit.
“We’re happy. If you can win one you’re doing a good job at these meetings.
“He’s only been around a couple of years, but he claims two kilos.”
Riordan had two further rides on the day at Wodonga on Boxing Day, placing second on the Rob Blacker-trained Mornington entry Cheeky Ben in the first race of the day.
I lost my line on the first one and thought my day wasn’t going too good, but then we got a winner. We just got beaten in the last one so it was obviously a good day for her.
- Apprentice jockey Liam Riordan
However, he was unable to guide Peter Maher’s Wodonga-based gelding Bad Obsession to the front of the field, finishing 10th.
Maher has known Aalbers for many years and admitted “she was an extremely good judge with trackwork rides” and “wouldn’t back down,”
He admitted his father enjoyed a bet and collected on many of Aalbers’ race wins, which now sits at 112.
