Growing up watching her mum in the saddle lit a fire in Ashlee Strawbridge to become a jockey, and at Cambridge on Wednesday she realised a dream when riding home her first winner.

Former race caller Jason Teaz has formed a successful career as a harness racing trainer, but it was in the thoroughbred code where he was able to fulfil a lifelong ambition at Matamata on Sunday.

Tony Pike will have a quartet of runners by necessity rather than design in Saturday’s two-year-old contest at Ellerslie.

Britannia Gold has made a good impression during her fledgling career and with better fortune on her side could have made even more of an impact.