Racing: Flourish says it all as apprentice savours first Group One win

Cameron Lammas could allow himself the luxury of a flourish with the whip after winning the Group One Easter Handicap at Ellerslie yesterday aboard Calveen.

The Matamata-based apprentice jockey was having his first ride on the Lance O'Sullivan-trained mare and could not contain himself passing the finishing post.

Calveen was ridden off the pace before sprinting forward wide out on the home turn to challenge the leaders.

Lammas, who turns 21 in May, will also finish his four-year term as an apprentice jockey in that month for training maestro Jim Gibbs.

"Calveen was just cruising off the speed and I did have Rockabubble inside me and I knew we were in a good position," said Lammas. "I pulled her out and sent her forward wide before the home turn in search of the better track conditions and once she was out and running she really climbed into it.

"She's a good mare when she's out in open space striding out and she really got stuck into her work in the home stretch.

"The winning post seemed to take forever to reach over the closing 50 metres but I wasn't going to look behind me because I could hear another horse closing on us.

"She's a very good mare and it's great to be the jockey who rode Lance O'Sullivan's first Group One win as a trainer."

"I've always wanted to win a Group One race during my time as an apprentice jockey and I was starting to panic a little bit because there is only one Group One race left after the Easter Handicap [and May, when his time is up].

"Thankfully Lance gave me the chance to ride Calveen and we both got the result we wanted."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY