Apprentice Carleen Hefel has achieved a career milestone at Sandown securing a treble at a metropolitan meeting.
Her treble on the Easter Monday holiday fixture came courtesy of a double aboard the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Unusual Culture and Aiming which followed her victory on Funzelle for Peter Moody earlier in the program.
“It’s very important, especially to get one in the metro area for the trainers that I have got winners for today and hopefully I can keep building on it,” Hefel said.
The treble extended Hefel’s lead in the Melbourne Apprentices’ Premiership.
Hefel’s win aboard Aiming in the Thoroughbred Club Australia Handicap was a little more special as Eustace revealed the filly had been to Julien Welsh, the master of Hefel, for some re-education.
“I did most of the work on her and her gallops between races,” Hefel said.
“It’s nice to know the horse before you sit on them.”
Aiming is a daughter of Maurice from the 2004 Victorian Oaks winner Hollow Bullet and is unbeaten in two starts following a debut win at Yarra Glen.
Eustace said the stable would possibly look for an interstate Stakes race for Aiming after Monday’s win.
“There are some nice options for fillies away from Victoria at black type level in Adelaide and Queensland in the next few months,” Eustace said.
“That will be the thing now to build her profile and her page.
“She’s not big, but these Maurice’s are not big, but I don’t think there are many that can’t run.
“She’s not slow and she’ll get a mile on that so, whether she gets further than that I’m not sure at this stage of her life.”