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It didn’t happen in the way she’d once hoped, but Leah Kilner has celebrated a victory in her hometown’s biggest race.
Queensland sprinter The Big Goodbye has scored an emotional win in the Listed Ramornie Handicap at Grafton, just over a year after his former jockey Leah Kilner almost lost her life in a race fall at the track.
Kilner, who grew up in Grafton, was on hand for Wednesday's memorable victory, representing winning trainer Robert Heathcote to whom she had been apprenticed before she suffered critical injuries in the fall on July 3 last year.
Hers has been a miraculous recovery after spending close to two months in hospital and while Kilner still faces challenges, she was thrilled to be part of The Big Goodbye's Ramornie Handicap (1200m) success, even if it wasn't in the capacity she had once dreamed about.
"It's just fantastic. I'm a Grafton girl and I've always wanted to win a Ramornie Handicap," Kilner told Sky Racing.
"I thought I'd be the one on this horse. That didn't happen but I'm here with him now and that's the main thing."
Ridden by Queensland-based hoop Martin Harley, The Big Goodbye ($15) camped on the flanks of the leader Ranges, who was chasing back-to-back Ramornie wins.
The Heathcote-trained gelding got his head in front at the top of the straight but had a fight on his hands with Ranges ($9) refusing to lay down, before Far Too Easy ($5.50) steamed home from back in the field to dive at that pair on the line.
But the latter couldn't get there in time, The Big Goodbye lasting by a half-neck over Far Too Easy with Ranges holding third, another long head away.
It was a first Ramornie success for Heathcote and a first black-type success for the consistent sprinter, who had finished runner-up in black-type grade at two of his previous three starts.
Kilner partnered The Big Goodbye six times during her riding career for three wins and said she knew he would be hard to run down once he got his head in front.
"He's the bravest horse I've ever ridden," she said.
"When he hit the front I said, 'geez, they're going to have to be good to get past him' because when they're chasing, they just can't get past him. He's the toughest horse.
"You'd love a stable full of him."
The Big Goodbye's win capped a successful afternoon for Queensland trainers with Desleigh Forster earlier claiming the Grafton Guineas (1600m) with Bettcha The Crown ($6.50), who proved too strong for Sydney three-year-old Crafty Eagle ($1.90 fav).
