Singleton apprentice Mikayla Weir hopes a double at Scone at Tuesday is a sign she's headed for another personal best season.
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Weir took Ludivine for her boss, Muswellbrook trainer Todd Howlett, and the Cody Morgan-trained Ice In Vancouver to impressive victories at the meeting, which was transferred from Gunnedah.
Weir found the best part of the track for Ludivine which flew late down the extreme outside to claim the 1400m class 1 handicap by a third of a length. It was a second win in just eight career starts for the six-year-old mare.
Earlier, first-starter Ice In Vancouver overcame a wide gate to storm down the centre of the track to win the 1000m maiden handicap by almost four lengths.
"Cody thought he could win," Weir said of Ice In Vancouver. "He'd been galloping with some pretty handy horses that had raced and won, so he was confident if it could race up to his work, he could win.
"Obviously the bad gate was a bit of a hindrance but he wasn't too worried about that because he's such a big horse, he needed plenty of room, and the way the Scone track plays, you get out anyway.
"Ludivine's a bit of a late starter, a late maturer.
"We've had her for a couple or preps and her first was impressive and we knew we had a decent horse.
"She just needed a bit more time to mature and her runs this prep had been really quite good.
"Realistically, she's a miler so winning over 1400 was really good."
The double gave Weir four winners across the first 18 days of the season. Last campaign, she had a career-best 63 wins, which continued her trend of improvements each season. She had 57, 38 and 26 the previous three years.
"It's something to kick off with and hopefully I can have an even better season than last season," she said.
"I had my best season ever, with 63 winners and something like 162 placegetters. I'd hope to better that again, but in November I come out of my time."
Weir hopes to make the most of her claim in town before joining the senior ranks in December.
She rides last-start Newcastle winner Mosht Up for Wyong trainer Stephen Schofield in the fourth at Canterbury on Wednesday.
"If it could run up to that Newcastle win, it could be thereabouts, but it's always hard going to town," she said.
She also rides Worldly Pleasure in the sixth.
Greg Ryan rode a treble at Scone with Vinaigrette, Wadi Musa and Lucky Elixir.
** Graeme Wilson, from Lees Racing, and Stephanie Alexander, from Scone trainer Brett Cavanough's stables, are among nominations for the Racing NSW strapper of the year award.
