Demojo ridden by Steven Vella wins the AJM Contracting Maiden Plate at Sportsbet-Ballarat Racecourse on June 12, 2024 in Ballarat, Australia. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos)
Jockey Steven Vella has made the most of a rare visit to the racetrack to win a race prepared by his wife at Ballarat.
The Kylie Vella-trained Demojo took out the AJM Contracting Maiden (1100m) on Wednesday at his first run back from a spell.
Vella’s rides are few and far between and he has had only three in 2024, all coming in June, while his last 33 rides have been for his wife.
Demojo was well supported on Wednesday in running out a 2-¼ length winner and Kylie Vella said she would not be pushing the three-year-old son of Denman too hard at this stage.
“We’ll just take it day by day. It’s nice to win a race,” Vella told racing.com.
“He’s got the ability. We added the visor after his last trial as we felt he wasn’t concentrating in the trials. He’d had three trials leading up to today, so the visors looked like they did the job.
“The horse that beat him on debut has come out and won again.
“We weren’t concerned about the surface. He’s handled wet tracks in his work and trials, and we didn’t have any plans, just wherever he landed.”
Demojo was beaten by Major Share on debut at Terang who, like Vella’s galloper, had his second start just over a week ago at Bendigo and was successful.
Steven Vella said Demojo had learned from his debut performance, adding his victory on the gelding was all about keeping him happy in the ground.
“I walked the track, but it wasn’t about where I was on the track, it was about keeping him happy,” Vella said.
“He lays out a little bit, but he was just too good for them.
“That horse that beat us at Terang is pretty good. I did everything to try and get it beat, but it was too good for me that day.
“Was it greenness, it could have been, but he was just too good.
“Today was his day.”