Apprentice Molly Bourke is hoping to use the next couple of weeks to get a foot in the door among Sydney's tough pool of young riders.
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The 20-year-old has become a more regular fixture in the city ranks this season having transferred from Wagga to John O'Shea's stable mid last year and has been part of the John Sargent team for a couple of months.
So far she's notched seven metropolitan wins and would like to think her run of form can continue on front-running sprinter Felix Majestic in the EGroup Protective Services Handicap (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
The Gary Nickson trained galloper gave Bourke her first win at headquarters on a Saturday three weeks ago.
"It was a bit slow at the start but it's starting to pick up now and I'm getting some momentum behind me which is helpful,'' Bourke said.
"There's plenty of 3kg apprentices going around, even at the provincials it's harder to get rides but I'm seeming to get more of a go in town so we'll take it while we have it.
"It'd be lovely to be among the top few apprentices is Sydney but I'm more than happy just to get a real established name in the city."
Bourke is well aware that this time of year is prime time for apprentices as many of the senior jockeys chase rich races interstate.
Felix Majestic, $7.50 with TAB on Thursday, was an all the way winner over the Randwick 1400m on December 16 and Bourke said it was quite a comfortable win.
While Saturday's race is a similar affair she said she's prepared to have to go to a Plan B if necessary.
"The start before I rode him they said he was a bit upside down but Gary said you've just got to let him do his own thing out front and he's a happy horse,'' she said.
"He has a high cruising speed and he can kick off that. It's a very similar race to last time and I probably won't get it as easy as last time but he will definitely be competitive.
The four-year-old gelding has again drawn toward the outside of the field but that's the least of Bourke's concerns and sees it as a plus.
"I've always enjoyed riding front-runners, I seem to be able to judge them well,'' she said.
"There's only 10 in the field so it's not too bad. He doesn't particularly jump very quickly but he musters so I don't think the wider barrier is going to worry him too much."
If Chairman's List takes his place in the TAB Highway (1600m) from an outside gate Bourke said he can definitely lift on a disappointing showing two weeks ago where there were genuine excuses.
On the Queanbeyan galloper's third placing behind Golden Decade two weeks earlier she said he's capable of at least replicating that performance.
"He's been running quite good races,'' she said.
"He was held up in the first Highway and was very unlucky, he still ran a good race the other week and they found he had a bit of a cold.
"Hopefully he's on track this time and can run another good race but he does have a tricky barrier."
