RACING: Apprentice scores on roughie

Enzo's Lad, obscured, holds on to beat Kawi in the JR & N Berkett Telegraph yesterday. Photo / Race Images

A southern longshot and his youthful accomplice combined at Trentham for their first Group One successes at the expense of a hot field of sprinters.

The Michael and Matthew Pitman-trained Enzo's Lad returned odds of 73-1 when he was victorious under apprentice Sam Weatherley in the JR & N Berkett Telegraph (1200m) yesterday.

It was the second year in a row a South Island visitor had posted an upset Telegraph win following Signify's 45-1 success 12 months ago.

While punters were floored by yesterday's upset, Weatherley didn't share their shock.

"I was very happy to be on him," he said. "He won the Pegasus in style and I knew if we had some luck he could do it. We got all the splits when we needed to so I'm over the moon.

"Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to be a jockey and to win a Group One is great."

The Riccarton-based Enzo's Lad dropped into a good spot behind the leaders and once into the clear he finished too well.

"He probably got to the front too soon and he was looking around, but he knuckled down when he had to."

Multiple Group One winner Kawi finished powerfully from the back for second with the frontrunner Ferrando holding third from Passing Shot.

"There's just no better feeling than this," Matthew Pitman said.

"He's been up to the mark all the way through."

Enzo's Lad showed his sprinting talent in the spring when the son of Testa Rossa won the Listed Pegasus Stakes (1000m) before conditions brought about his last-start defeat at Wingatui on Boxing Day.

"He struck a wet track and he can't go on them," Pitman said.

"He's got a great bunch of owners, all from Wellington, and it was their choice as much as ours to bring him up. This means the world to me."