KEY POINTS:
Central Districts jockey Darryl Bradley is wasting no time rebuilding his riding career.
The Palmerston North jockey's career was in tatters this year after he was disqualified for four months on a charge of bringing racing into disrepute.
It resulted from a phone call he made "seeking money
or some other benefit" if his mount Eel Win won the Southland Guineas on February 16.
The call was to Dunedin insurance brokers Fraser Macandrew Ryan which put up a $100,000 bonus if the same horse won three designated races, culminating in the Southland Guineas.
Fritzy Boy was in line for the bonus after winning the first two legs of the treble: the Gore and Dunedin Guineas. Eel Win finished second to Fritzy Boy in both races.
Ironically, Bradley's call to the insurance brokers was made before it was confirmed Fritzy Boy could not win the bonus because of a special condition that there had to be at least 10 runners in each of the three races.
Bradley later described his act as stupid and foolish.
Bradley, 41, resumed riding this month. He posted the first win of his comeback at Timaru last Sunday and on Saturday, at his fourth day back riding, rode Keeper Special to victory in the $55,000 Ryder Stakes at the Levin Racing Club's meeting at Foxton.
The Ryder is a stakes' race and the last 2-year-old feature of the season.
Bradley said the win was icing on the cake.
"It's just been great to be back riding," he said.
"I was pleased to get that first win under my belt. But to win a stakes' race - that's important all year round. To grab one of them, I was just thrilled."
Keeper Special is trained at Pukekohe by Gareth McRae and Garry Newham, a partnership formed on July 1. McRae trained in partnership for 1 1/2 years with Russell Cameron until he returned to Australia this year while Newham was in partnership with Graeme Rogerson.
Keeper Special is now the winner of two of her three starts and started a $7.80 fifth favourite on Saturday.
Bradley had her handy throughout and joined second favourite Jasminka in the lead early in the run home. The pair drew clear of their rivals with Keeper Special scoring by a long neck.
There was a gap of 4 1/4 lengths to Big Love who ran on well for third. Three-quarters of a length away fourth was Shock while the same margin away fifth was the third favourite, He's Licarocket. Favourite Pocket Diary was seventh of 14 runners.
Keeper Special was bred and is owned by Margaret Watson of Silverdale, north of Auckland.
Watson said Keeper Special and her dam Jasben were lucky to be alive after Keeper Special's birth looked like being breeched. "She (Keeper Special) was trying to come out the wrong way all the time," Watson said.
A veterinary surgeon arrived after the birth and told Watson she was fortunate both the foal, by Keeper, and mother survived.
"That's why I called the foal Keeper Special."
- NZPA