Apprentice Hall gets first Flemington win

The win of Annrhon in a benchmark race at Flemington is one apprentice Chelsea Hall will long remember.

Hall’s narrow victory on the Heath Conners-trained mare in Saturday’s Arbroath Handicap (1100m) gave the 26-year-old apprentice her first Flemington win.

The victory also came at a cost for the apprentice, with stewards later fining her $800 for using the whip four times more than allowed before the 100m mark of the race.

“It’s a massive thrill,” Hall said after the win.

“It’s good to have my first city winner at Flemington. Obviously everyone waits for this moment, so it’s great.

“And it’s great to do it on my first boss’s horse as well.”

Hall said she worked for Conners for 12 months before she had even sat on a horse.

“I didn’t ride work for Heath but I just learned how to deal with horses and all the fundamentals of racehorses and horses in general,” she said.

Apprenticed to John Moloney at Caulfield, Hall had ridden a couple of city winners before Saturday’s Flemington breakthrough.

Annrhon ($17) got home by a half-neck over Bob Of The Head ($8) with another short neck to third placegetter Strykinglee ($5.50) in the $60,000 race.