By John Dunne
It seemed fitting that Jodi Quinlan celebrated International Women’s Day with a win at Melton on Miracle Mile night.
Joining forces with the Rick Cashman trained My Uncle Stan ($18), Quinlan latched onto the three wide train down the back before the five-year-old unleashed a powerful finale to score by a neck from Blake Bolac in a mile rate of 1:53.8.
Quinlan admitted she had second guessed herself down the back straight.
“I thought that I had buggered up when I didn’t go in front of Herbie on Blake Bolac but I didn’t want to take the risk in case Kerryn (Manning) didn’t come out because if I had to go on my own I don’t win,” Quinlan said.
“The good thing that worked out in the end was that Herbie’s horse is strong and keeps going which suits this horse because if he gets left in front he has a tendency to ease off,” she said.
Quinlan was quietly confident of a forward first-up showing from My Uncle Stan who hadn’t graced the racetrack since September.
“His trials have been great and his first-up run was great as well and I knew if he had a chance to have a crack at them late then they’ll know he’s there,” she said.
Quinlan created history when she became the first Victorian reinswoman to win a Miracle Mile partnering Sokyola to victory in 2004.
She has since been joined by Kate Gath who steered Catch A Wave to victory two years ago.
Later in the night Michael Bellman continued to edge his way through the ‘nervous 90s’ when he scored an upset win on the Craig Hoban trained Give Dave A Wave in the Mimosa Homes Pace.
Sent out a $61 chance, Give Dave A Wave settled towards the rear in the running line however Bellman eased out onto the back of Plains In Heaven in a three wide trail with 700 metres to travel.
Give Dave A Wave reeled in Plains In Heaven half way down the home straight before surging clear to score by four metres from that horse with Spirit Of Pearl seven metres away third.
The win brought up Bellman’s 1999th career success.
Bellman concedes the pending milestone had brought with it a level of frustration.
“I’ve been crawling towards it the last couple of weeks so it will be good to get it out of the road,” Bellman said.
The accomplished Bellman has made it his niche landing long shot winners.
“I don’t know why, perhaps the punters think the driver has no ability and I tell people that horses can’t read the form so I drive them all like they have got a hope,” quipped Bellman.
