Image: Jeff Hanson/NSW Country and Picnic Racing.
On Thursday, apprentice jockey Coriah Keatings continued her excellent form at Goulburn when teaming up with Danielle Seib.
Riding the well-named Chaotic Beauty in the Country Boosted Benchmark 58 Handicap (1600m), Keatings raced the five-year-old in the back half of the field as paced was injected into the race by the Greg Stephens-trained St Anton (Pierre Boudvillain, $91).
On the home straight, Keatings peeled wide on the $6 chance and finished strongly to defeat the David Blundell-trained Zabellsareringing (Danny Beasley, $2.80) by two lengths while in third and three lengths back was stablemate Denarau (Benjamin Osmond, $4).
Keatings has been riding the in-form mare, and they just missed out at Goulburn last month when going down to another stablemate, Associate, in the 1600m Benchmark 58 Handicap.
Heading to Goulburn on Thursday, Keatings thought it was Chaotic Beauty’s day.
“I was really confident with her today off that last run,” Keatings said after the race.
“I thought she ran enormous; she loves the weight off her back and tries really hard.
“She was racing in a higher grade, and Danielle’s brought her back down to that Country (Boosted) 58, and look, she’s run out of her feet today and really proved herself.”
It was a perfect ride by Keatings, who was happy to let the race play out in front of her before unleashing the Kiss And Makeup mare’s strong finish.
Honestly, the first time I rode her, we couldn’t get out, and she tried so hard,” Keatings said.
“Not many people would know unless she is underneath you, but she really wants to get to that line, and today she proved it.”
Seib picked up a winning double at Goulburn with Eight Of A Kind (Jean Van Overmeire, $2.25), winning the 1000m Benchmark 58 Handicap, and Keatings was just thrilled to have the opportunity to ride for the Goulburn stable.
“Danielle always has them firing, and she is going so good at the moment; she is lovely to ride for,” Keatings said.
For the apprentice, the win was the 30th of her career and the ninth from her past 50 starts.
Riding at a very good 18% strike rate, the 22-year-old has travelled far and wide in recent weeks, scoring victories at Moruya, Cowra, and Canberra in December before triumphing at the Sapphire Coast, Tumut, and Goulburn in January.
Indentured to Nick Olive in Queanbeyan, Keatings will ride for her boss when jumping aboard Howling Victory and Epaullo Creed at Albury on Sunday before taking another three rides at the Sapphire Coast on Monday.
