Straight Jacket with owners, jockey Melissa Julius (centre) and trainer Symon Wilde (right). (Image: Racing Photos)
Warrnambool trainer Symon Wilde had runners in only two races on Saturday, and he went home with a maiden Saturday metro double at The Valley.
The $9 outsider Royal Applause held out the Mick Price-trained Heavenly Descent ($3.60) in the McCafe Handicap (1600m), before apprentice Melissa Julius rode stable favourite Straight Jacket to take out the $99 Summer Membership Handicap (2040m).
Okay, so it wasn't a vintage 2040m race at The Valley as Straight Jacket, who Wilde had originally pencilled in for the Penshurst Cup on Boxing Day, held out the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Multitude, a horse that was set to run at the Bong Bong picnics first-up this prep before that meeting was called off.
WATCH: Straight Jacket win at The Valley
But Saturday winners are Saturday winners, as Wilde continued a trend of Ballarat/Warrnambool based horses taking out the first four races on the card.
And 26-year-old Julius, who only graduated from Racing Victoria's Apprentice Jockey Training Program recently, chalked up her first winner at The Valley, having already conquered Caulfield and Ladbrokes Park Hillside in her career to date.