Racing: Ivil's relief on big day

Ten seconds is a lifetime in a horse race.

Novice apprentice Jayne Ivil said after landing Seachange home a first-up Hastings winner yesterday that she'd always been confident of hauling in runaway leader Royal Duke to enjoy her finest moment in racing.

That's one thing to suspect - even to be almost sure of - yet another to actually achieve. Ivil knew there was no room for error on this one. The eyes of the racing world were upon her 200m out as Royal Duke had a two-length lead and looked to be travelling sweetly.

The beaming smile Ivil delivered as she unsaddled hadn't quite arrived as Seachange did what she usually does - dashes over the finish line ahead of her opposition. But the relief that swamped the Cambridge apprentice arrived seconds later.

Class showed in the finish - Royal Duke didn't stop as much as Seachange's class forced her frame to extend.

Ivil said that as strongly as Royal Duke was travelling clear in front at the 550m the feeling of absolute class under her gave her confidence a massive boost.

The effort Seachange had to put in to beat Bulginbaah by half a length will clearly not hurt her, she did only as much as required to win and her appearance in the Foxbridge Plate two weeks tomorrow looks a certainty.