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  • Biggest Win for 37YO Apprentice Rider

    Tuesday, 2nd March 2021

    Kath Bell-Pitomac had only just entered the mounting yard after Old Harbour won a heartstopping Central Districts Newhaven Park Country Championships Qualifier (1400m) at Mudgee on Sunday when the tears started to flow, reports racingnsw.com.au. With the likes of star Sydney jockeys Hugh Bowman, Jason Collett and Robbie Dolan behind her it was the 37-year-old apprentice’s finest achievement in her career to date. Carrying her to the milestone was the Michael Mullholland-trained Wellington 5YO gelding Old Harbour (Your Song-Da Sweet Soca Song, by Encosta de Lago) who clung on by a half-head from Hamogany High Chaparral-Sky Bound, by Mossman), with favourite Healing Hands (I Am Invincible-Miss Alberta, by Magic Albert) a closing third. The longest serving apprentice in Australia having started in 2002, Bell-Pitomac is now preparing to ride Old Harbour in the $500,000 Newhaven Park Country Championships Final at Royal Randwick on April 3. Her career has had its ups and downs with lengthy breaks through injury and having a family, but her apprenticeship will end in June and, thanks to Old Harbour, she'll have an experience she'll savour forever. Mulholland paid tribute to his apprentice’s dedication and confirmed Bell-Pitomac would ride the gelding at Randwick and that there were “lengths of improvement” to come.