On Wednesday we headed to Ballarat with Diplomac Jack and Rakti Roulette and came home with our first winner and then a maiden double!
“It’s brilliant,” Thomas said. “A lot of local trainers have been getting winners recently and I’m glad to join to the team.
“Especially here (at Ballarat), this is just amazing. It’s so difficult to be competitive at this level, so it’s great.”
WATCH: Hear from Thomas
Diplomac Jack was our first runner on January 21 this year when finishing fourth at Ararat. The Monaco Consul gelding registered another four-consecutive top-four finishes before being turned out and pulled out a strong finish to coast to a 2.75-length first-up win as a $41 chance with Declan Bates aboard in the 1600m maiden.
“We were very impressed with his first preparation and he’s just come back so well,” he said.
“I said to Declan ‘I think he’s a chance, just give him his chance and get him going in the straight’. To see him quicken and kick on the way he did was a bit surprising.”
We then completed his double when Luke Nolen guided Rakti Roulette ($8.50) to a one-length win over $2.40 favourite Arohata in the 2200-metre Benchmark 64.
WATCH: Rakti Roulette’s win