Fancourt rides first winner in 10 months

Former leading apprentice Alannah Fancourt scored her first win in 10 months when My Girl Hayley won at Doomben.

Fancourt was second on the Brisbane apprentices’ title when she injured her neck in a fall at Toowoomba on New Year’s Eve.

She then hurt a wrist and did not return to race riding until last week.

Fancourt is apprenticed to trainer Tony Gollan and she thanked him for never losing faith in her.

“Tony has put me back on some good horses and I owe him a lot,” she said.

“That was my fourth ride back so it is good to break the duck. It has been a long road back.”

My Girl Hayley ($4.60) has always been highly rated by Gollan but has had a few problems of her own.

“Last season we tried her in some of the better stakes races but she had no luck with barriers and the like,” Gollan said.

“Lani has done a lot of the work with her and in fact she is the only one to win on her.”

Prompt Return ($4) made it four wins from his past six starts when he won the Queensland X Ray Open Handicap.

“Two years ago he won a good race down the straight at Flemington on this day. I think we have worked him out that 1000 metres to 1100 metres is his best distance,” said stable foreman Trent Edmonds.

However, it was the run of comeback galloper Too Good To Refuse ($5) which earned all the praise after he came from 12 lengths off the pace on the turn to get beaten a neck into second place.

“He came home like a bullet. Too Good To Refuse will give them something to think about in the summer features races over more ground,” trainer Desleigh Forster said.

Meanwhile, trainer John Meagher is predicting a bright future for Savana Amour ($3.80) who returned with a strong win.

“She is a lovely filly and has come back a lot stronger.,” Meagher said.

Savana Amour is raced by Grant Morgan’s Ontrack Thoroughbred who raced champion sprint Brazen Beau.