KEY POINTS:
Queensland stewards say they have the rules on their side after banning New Zealand apprentice Luke Dittman from riding at yesterday's Sunshine Coast races.
Dittman, apprentice to New Zealand trainer Allan Jones, is the son of Mick Dittman, one of the finest jockeys to come out of Queensland.
Jones had wanted Luke Dittman to ride his first two runners yesterday.
Queensland steward Reid Sanders said policy was for apprentices to begin their careers at country meetings and could have their licences upgraded after winning five races.
Dittman, who has been riding for two months, has yet to ride a winner.
Mick Dittman is furious.
"What they've done to Luke is degrading," he told the Courier Mail.
"I'm almost ashamed to say I'm a Queenslander."
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Polish Princess might be looking at the broodmare paddocks of her owner, Windsor Park Stud, but she will get a transtasman trip first.
The English-bred mare did not get her army of punters home with much to spare at Te Rapa on Saturday, but the run was better than it looked.
A ridiculously slow pace was right against her and rider Noel Harris asked only what he needed.
Luckshan indicated he was in for a profitable winter in getting up for second. His effort to run on from the tail of the field was excellent.
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Mark Faulkner reckons winning the first race as a solo trainer with Ngahiiti on Saturday is the best tonic he could hope for.
Faulkner has been diagnosed with a brain tumour and had surgery in January. Ngahiiti, at $17, scored a gritty narrow win.
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Green Super looks a youngster who could go a fair way.
"He did that easily," said Troy Harris after the debut colt finished powerfully down the middle of the track to score nicely.
Hong Kong-based agent Willie Leung made a fleeting trip to see Green Super race and was quick to report back to father and son owners in Hong Kong, Tom and Roger Li.
