"When I was a young kid living in Mauritius, my father loved horse racing, like a lot of people there do, but I was scared of horses," says Goindasamy.
"My father got me to come to the stable one day and told me to brush one of the horses. I didn't want to, but he made me do it. A year later, I was riding."
Goindasamy made his way to New Zealand, but while he quickly showed promise as an apprentice, a bad race fall at Te Rapa saw him sidelined for a long period. And during that time, he set a goal.
"I was here at Ellerslie with my arm in a cast when I saw James McDonald win this race on True Enough and I decided that is what I want to do. I wanted to win one of those," says Goindasamy. "So to win this is a dream come true. I can't believe I am a Group 1 jockey."
It was earned, too, as Goindasamy punched Tiptronic to the lead but then relaxed him enough to set up a 2m 05s time for the 2000m, more than three seconds slower than Concert Hall galloped winning this race last year.
That made the task of those back in the field improbable a long way from home and impossible by the 200m mark when Tiptronic kicked again, leaving Vernanme to hold on to second and favourite Two Illicit to storm into third, while those further back can all be forgiven because of the sectionals.
The race was marred by the loss of high-class mare Communique who broke down in the home straight and had to be euthanised.
Tiptronic's win capped a golden day for the Richardson/Norvall stable as they also produced Bonny Lass to win her rating 74 race after missing the spring because of setback.
Last season's leading juvenile filly overcame a wide draw on a day when jockey Opie Bosson was in red hot form.
"We only have about 30 horses in work and about one third of them were here," Richardson says. "So to win two on a big day like this back at Ellerslie is a great reward for all the work the staff put in."
Bonny Lass will most likely next head to the Almanzor Trophy on Karaka Million night.
