| Stephanie Thornton scored the biggest win of her burgeoning riding career when she steered The Odyssey to a popular win in Saturday’s $1 million Racing Queensland Magic Millions QTIS Handicap (1300m). |
The 21-year-old delivered a textbook ride on one of Queensland’s pin-up horses, trailing the leading pair before peeling into clear running approaching the 500m. The Odyssey dashed clear and looked destined for a comfortable win before Stuttering and Boomtown Lass emerged to challenge over the final 100m. It was a centimetre perfect ride from Thornton with the son of Better Than Ready holding on to win by a nose in a photo finish. An emotional Thornton said the horse, aboard whom she has now won several feature races, had quickly become one of her favourites. “He’s been so brilliant to me, I think I’ve won seven races on him,” Thornton said. “To be honest, I was gutted on the line because I thought I’d got beat but he’s tough and he’s got a will to win. “1300m sees him out so that was our biggest query today but he just wanted it too bad.” Trainer Kelly Schweida, who purchased The Odyssey for $30,000 at the 2018 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, said he had doubts about whether the entire could extend his brilliance to 1300m. Under his guidance, the four-year-old has won 10 races and more than $1.7 million in prizemoney. “The 59kg and the 1300m is probably his outer limit but she rode him a treat,” Schweida said. “They took him on so she box-seated and then put him into the race at the right time. “I’m pretty stoked.” On Friday, Schweida paid $175,000 for Lot 758, a yearling colt by Better Than Ready out of the Yarramalong Park draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. |
