Hard Working Tyler On the Board with First Cluden Win

The winning post seemed to take an eternity to come up for battling apprentice Tyler Leslight, but the result was never in doubt.

Leslight, 24, made every post a winner to bring up his first Cluden victory aboard the speedy Viburnum on Friday in the Wentworth Electrical 0-55 Hcp (1000m).

“That’s my first Townsville winner. I’m so glad to get the monkey off my back, but it seemed to take forever to get down that straight,” the Tolga-based rider said.

“I rode a winner the other day at Mareeba but before that I hadn’t ridden a winner since Easter Saturday.

“So, it’s been a tough spell. Big thanks to Lacey Morrison. She’s been giving up her time, tutoring me and helping me a lot at Tolga.

“I’m on loan to Sharlee Hoffman and Lacey’s been a huge help to me, out of her good will, and I really appreciate it.

“I think the results today have come from Lacey.”

Viburnum, trained in Ingham by Joe Russo, was great news for Leslight and his connections, but a major blow to bookmakers.

The four-year-old gelding was the medium of a big betting move to run at $3.80.

Leslight was confident Viburnum was a big first-up run to finish 5th in a Class 3 at Cluden at his previous start when he missed the start.

“In most of his starts he comes out with his head in the air and costs himself a lot of ground,” he said.

“I pretty much had no reins and grabbed a big piece of mane and luckily he was able to jump and lead.

“With 54kg and no dead weight on his back I was confident but it was a long way home.

“I have to thank Joe (Russo) too for the ride and Shryn Royes, a great country connection who has horses with him and got my foot in the door.”

With a Cluden win under his belt Leslight is hoping the opportunities will increase and is prepared to work hard.

“I’ll ride anywhere up here. The travel doesn’t worry me. I’ll be here next Saturday and Saturday week in Cairns,” he said.

“It was two years in April that I’ve been riding. The first season was out west and I won the premiership out there - a big accomplishment and full credit to the Johnsons (Bevan).

“It definitely gave me a lot of confidence and feeling the horses better and now I’m just trying to step up.

“I ride at 54kg, which means my claim will be effective. I ride a bit of work for Mr Chillemi, for Sharlee obviously and I’ve been going down to Innisfail once or twice a week to ride for Potiris family as well.

“I’m happy to put the work if you just give me a go.”

Meanwhile, Cairns trainer Stephen Massingham turned around a dismal wet week in the Far North with a winning double with Indictment (Chris Whiteley) and Fodor (Ryan Wiggins).

Massingham had a full team engaged in Thursday’s Cairns meeting which was abandoned.

“I wasn’t coming to Townsville. I was going to run them all in Cairns,” Massingham said.

“Yeh, very frustrating, but there was nothing the club could do.

“It was a good thing they made the call on Wednesday and Townsville noms were extended to give us the chance to come here.

“I had Fodor and Boho Beauty nominated for here just in case.

But I only nominated Indictment and Never Cry late after Cairns was called off.

“I was very confident Fodor could win. I said to Tom (Hedley) that with the weather we’ve had at home, and we haven’t been able to race him too much, I thought that he’d just win a class 3 here.

“All of them ran really well. Indictment was good, Never Cry ran a cracking second and Boho Beauty ran fourth.

“What was looking like an average week turned out pretty good. Two winners, a second and a fourth.”

Bowen trainer Tom Button landed a winning double of his own with Head Honcho and Northern Pride.

Head Honcho’s win wasn’t pretty but highly impressive in the prelude for June’s $100,000 Lawrence & Hansen QTIS 2YO Classic (1200m).

The wayward Headwater gelding pulled his way to the front for apprentice Gabby Semmens and, despite a wide run around the home turn, cruised to an emphatic win over Dance For Me Randy.

“That wasn’t the plan but when he started to pull so hard Gabby had to get him to the outside. He didn’t do too much wrong in the straight which was good.

“We’re getting there.”

Button was soon back in the winner’s stall, this time with Northern Pride in the Higgins Coatings BM70 Hcp (1000m).

Semmens was in the saddle again and produced a fine ground saving ride to record a clear cut win.

The stable also ran second with Under The Limit.

Central Park stamped himself as a horse to follow after easily handling a rise in class and distance to win the Ladbrokes BM 55 Hcp (1609m) for trainer Jeff Caught and jockey Adrian Layt.

Pictured: Tyler Leslight guides Viburnum to victory in the Wenworth Electrical 0-55 Hcp (1000m), the win marked the apprentice's first win at Cluden Park.

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