MEMPHIS Mafia combined with Vad Bolozhinskyi to annihilate their opposition at Quirindi on Thursday.
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The pair united for a five and half length win in the Akubra Fillies & Mares Benchmark 50 Handicap (1450m), relegating the Luke Griffith-trained pair, Jewels Shadow and Sutton Surprise, to the minor placings.
The mare is trained by Lesley Jeffriess at Tamworth for a syndicate including Sonia Reid.
“It’s my first winner,” an excited Reid said after leading the cheering brigade.
She races Memphis Mafia with Tamworth’s Norma Jurd and Rebecca Baldock (daughter of the trainer), and Armidale’s Gerry ter Hedde, Darrell Porter and Peter Crick.
Jeffriess was only too happy to afford Reid an excited hug in the winner’s stall as Bolozhinskyi unsaddled.
Reid’s win also brought a smile to the face of head steward Shane Cullen as the normally serious chief acknowledged the first four placed jockeys before weighing them out.
Jeffriess was delighted with a large winning margin although leading all the way hadn’t featured heavily in pre-race plans.
“We just told Vad to drive her out (of the barriers) and have her wherever she was comfortable,” Jeffriess said.
“We didn’t want to take hold because she gets a little jiggle- headed.”
It was Memphis Mafia’s second win in 25 starts.
“She won her maiden somewhere down in Victoria before we got her,” Jeffriess said.