Red-letter day for Carter aboard Set Point

Sophie Carter rode her first racecourse winner on Set Point (14/1) who won a battle with Scholarship in the Kildare Village Ladies Derby Handicap at the Curragh.

The aforementioned pair of horses swept through to fight out the spoils inside the final furlong and it was Set Point who just held a narrow advantage in the closing stages.

Carter kept him up to his work to fend off Scholarship (7/2) and Georgie Benson by half a length. The runner-up was some five-and-a-half-lengths clear of Joe Masseria (22/1) and Aine O'Connor.

Carter said: "I'm in disbelief to be honest because I didn't even know I was getting the ride until Thursday morning.

"I work for Colin Bowe and they (Gordon Elliott and Bowe) would be good friends. I normally can do the light weights quite easily - I'm lucky enough that Gordon uses me.

"I was lucky enough to get enough points to win that (champion female point-to-point novice rider), so I'm having a surreal year!

"I am originally from Oxford and I've been in Ireland for five years.

"The dream was always to ride in races, but it wasn't really happening until I went down to Bowe's and he took a chance on me - thank God he did!

"I'm loving it and I know everyone at home will be watching - I know my grandad had a little bet on me just to watch the race so I think he will be delighted to get his money back!

"I've never had a winner on the track, that is my first and I'm absolutely delighted. I was after losing 9lb to ride it, so thank God it was worth it!

“I wanted him to jump well because once you get a good jump you can go wherever you want. He jumped deadly, I sat him in and stayed against him.

“Turning the top bend, I saw a couple of girls coming off the bridle and giving them a squeeze, so I squeezed to see how much he had left and he took off.

“I said I'd just sit for another furlong before going for him and he just stayed on to the line.

“Gordon was worried a bit about the ground changing, but he said to see what happens and everything else was a bonus. It just all worked out for us, thank God.

“I've had four point-to-point winners, three this season and enough points that I won the Lady Novice. Hopefully it stays going from now on.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson