MELBOURNE - Naomi Fisher, whose great-great-grandfather was a Melbourne Cup-winning jockey, has posted her first Melbourne winner only days before the end of her apprenticeship.
Fisher, 23, has been riding for four years and on Saturday Rum Corps gave her just the 12th win of her career, inthe Sky High Mt Dandenong Handicap at Caulfield.
"I've got about three weeks left of my apprenticeship so it's a big thrill," Fisher said.
Her great-great-grandfather, Alick Robertson, was the leading jockey of his day in the late 1880s.
Born in Geelong in 1859, Robertson is best remembered as the winning rider on Hall Of Fame galloper Malua in the 1884 Melbourne Cup and 1886 Australian Cup.
Trainer Robert Smerdon said he booked Fisher for Rum Corps ($17) without really giving the horse a serious winning chance.
"Kelvin Bourke recommended that I give her [Fisher] a chance and she did everything right," Smerdon said.
Rum Corps scored by a short head from Itsamonty with the fast-finishing Count To Zero 1 1/2 lengths away third.
"He [Rum Corps] is a pretty classy horse over a bit of ground but I thought it might be a touch short today," Smerdon said.
"As it turned out he had all the favours, no weight and found the line well."
