Newly-crowned champion jockey Michael McNab stamped a black type exclamation mark on his season when Pacific Dragon won the $60,000 Courtesy Ford Ryder Stakes at Te Rapa on Saturday.
And in doing so he won his last remaining personal battle of the season, shading mate Opie Bosson for the most successful black type jockey of the year as well.
McNab had his first jockey's premiership wrapped up well before he walked on to Te Rapa yesterday but signed off in style, riding two winners including the Ryder, which had been moved from the cancelled Otaki meeting to Te Rapa.
That move provided McNab will the opportunity to pass Bosson for the most black type wins for the season, as Pacific Dragon wouldn't have travelled to Otaki had the meeting gone ahead on a very heavy track there as programmed.
The Ryder victory was still anything but push button with McNab firing Pacific Dragon forward but there was no easy lead for him and the filly was left in front with multiple challengers at the top of the straight.