Promising young apprentice Zac Wadick has had a day to remember at Rosehill, celebrating his first Saturday metropolitan win aboard the Annabel Neasham-trained Mickey’s Medal.
While the 21-year-old had notched a couple of city victories at midweek meetings, he was thrilled to break through on a bigger stage aboard a horse he had finished runner-up aboard at its past three starts.
“We’ve just been missing that length during the winter with these wet tracks,” Wadick said of his record on Mickey’s Medal.
“I think that was what was making him miss that length and getting on that good deck here today I was hoping he would pick up another bit and he did.
“I have been coming to town now for a few weeks and (had) a couple of seconds, a couple of placings and it has been really frustrating.
“To get one today, and especially for Annabel – she has been giving me tremendous support since moving down from Taree. She has done very good by me and I’m really happy to get the winner for her.”
Growing up at Warwick Farm, Wadick moved to the NSW Mid North Coast town of Taree a couple of years ago to start his country-based apprenticeship with Glen Milligan.
He recently returned to Sydney for the next phase of his career journey under Brad Widdup and said he was relishing the challenge.
“Coming from up there and to town being with Brad, it has been a really good transition,” Wadick said.
“I’ve gone from one good trainer to another.
“He’s taken time just getting me into town through Wednesday meetings and I finally got the green light to come here on a Saturday so that has been really good.”
Wadick said his fellow riders had also been welcoming and he was enjoying sharing the Sydney jockeys’ room with the likes of James Mcdonald and Nash Rawiller.
“It’s a great room, it is full of some of the best riders in the world and they treat me like one of their own. It’s really good,” he said.
Neasham has been one of Wadick’s biggest supporters since his transition to town and regarded his effort in Saturday’s James Squire Handicap (1500m) as “a peach of a ride”.
“I know he was desperate to win on that horse after so many second placings,” Neasham said.
“I’m really happy for Zac. He’s a nice kid and a good, up and coming young rider.”
In the senior ranks, McDonald increased his premiership lead on Rawiller to five courtesy of a winning double aboard two-year-old Mayfair and the Chris Waller-trained Kapakiri.
Rawiller was unable to add to his tally and will be forced to sit out Wednesday’s Canterbury meeting due to a whip suspension, leaving him just two city meetings to bridge the gap.
