Stead stars for first Group win
Neveu held on down the straight to win the Sportsbet South Australian Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville Parks on Saturday.
The two-year-old was defiant to outlast Spain by the barest of margins to give jockey Andrew Stead his first Group race win.
Stead is making a comeback after spending the past 13 years out of the saddle, and Morphettville trainer Jon O’Connor has stuck by the jockey.
“(Andrew) was a very talented rider in his younger days. He just had such a long time off that everyone forgot about him I think – including myself,” O’Connor said.
“He’s worked his backside off to get back and he deserves the opportunities.”
Jockey Andrew Stead celebrates the win aboard Neveu. Picture: Makoto Kaneko
READ MORE
Neveu looked to have shaken off the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Spain with just over 200m to go, but the two-year-old colt came firing back for the photo finish.
O’Connor said he is looking at the latter part of the Melbourne spring with Neveu and will now send the two-year-old gelding for a spell before the next campaign.
Jockey Taylor Johnstone claimed her first winner as a senior rider on Saturday, leading home Fast Tempo in the PFD Food Services Handicap (1400m) for trainers Gordon Richards and Damien Moyle.
The victory made it a winning double for the training duo Richards and Moyle, who also had a winner with The Stalker earlier in the day in the Sportsbet More Places Handicap (1250m) with apprentice jockey Isaac Sit on board.
