Eilish McCall’s first day of race riding started promisingly and finished spectacularly at Te Rapa on Saturday.

The 24-year-old apprentice acquitted herself well on debut when she guided Jochen Rindt into fourth in the Jorja’s 14th Birthday Handicap and then she struck gold in the closing event on the card.

Aboard Blackmagicwoman for her employer Shaune Ritchie, McCall kept a cool head after a tardy start and getting back in the field.

She bided her time before picking up ground and they came underneath runners in the straight for a length and three-quarter victory in the DIC – Driver in Control 1600.

“I’m so grateful to Shaune for putting me on, he’s helped me out a lot,” McCall said.

“We didn’t get a very good run and got pushed around a lot so I stayed where I was. On the turn I had a lot in hand and off she went and hit the line well.”

Ritchie stable representative Noel Waddell said it was appropriate that McCall was able to open her winning tally on Blackmagicwoman.

“It’s a really good result, she does a lot of the work on the mare so it’s a fitting result. All credit to her, she didn’t panic and let the horse slide along.”