It may not have been on the horse she crossed the Tasman for, but premiership-winning Queensland hoop Angela Jones got her Group victory at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.

The 24-year-old jockey had accepted the invitation of Wexford Stables to partner Smart Love in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m), and while she was unplaced on the mare, she was victorious for the stable on the undercard aboard Up The Anti in the Horizon By SkyCity 1600.

When fellow Matamata trainers Peter and Shaun McKay heard Jones was coming to New Zealand, they were eager to book her services for their mare Santa Catalina in the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m), and it proved a winning decision.

Backing up a week after running fifth in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers’ Championship Final (2400m) at Ellerslie, Santa Catalina jumped away well, but lacked the early speed for Jones to punch forward with the mare.

Unable to cross, Jones was forced to settle her mare three-wide with cover behind Canheroc. Jones kept a cool head and bided her time on the daughter of Puccini before presenting her wide at the turn where she was able to make steady inroads into the frontrunners lead and closed late to score a three quarter of a length victory over Trust In You.

Jones was pleased to get the win but admitted she thought they were in trouble early on.

“I thought I didn’t give her the best of rides in the early stages,” Jones said. “She had jumped well and they said if she jumps well they wanted her to be thereabouts. She jumped well but we didn’t really have enough speed to get us out of trouble.

“I was pretty happy when I looked up and I had cover at least, and she settled beautifully. They have done a beautiful job of presenting her and she really gets this trip well because you put her in a spot and she settles so well. I would never say she felt like the winner, but she was there when I needed her.

“I knew she had a bit of a tough run, so I didn’t want to ask her to go too early. I was thankful for a bit of cover into the straight. I was grateful it was starting to play a little bit better down the outside and I think we needed all the help we could get and she showed that she is very tough.”

Shaun McKay was rapt with the win, which has given the stable the confidence to press on towards the Gr.3 NZ Campus Of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m) at Trentham later this month with their mare.

“We knew she pulled up really well (from Ellerslie on Boxing Day) so we didn’t worry about the back-up and it was a good win,” he said.

“Winning any race at Ellerslie is superb and winning a Group race is even better.

“We would love to aim for a Wellington Cup and see how she goes. She is a good stayer in the making. I would say she will have another start (before the Wellington Cup), but we will just see how she pulls up and go from there.”

Bred by Mapperley Stud principal Simms Davision, Santa Catalina is raced by the Matamata horseman in partnership with Peter and Kim McKay, for whom she has won four of her 20 starts to date and earned more than $270,000 in prizemoney.