Talented apprentice Molly Bourke produced a peach ride aboard Floating to claim her first stakes win in Listed ATC Cup at Rosehill

Apprentice Molly Bourke repaid the faith of trainer Matthew Smith and the connections of Floating by delivering a perfect ride to win the Listed ATC Cup at Rosehill.

A jubilant Molly Bourke returns to scale after winning her first stakes race in Floating in the ATC Cup at Rosehill. Picture: Bradley Photos

Apprentice Molly Bourke saved a pearler for her biggest moment in the saddle after booting home Floating for her first stakes winner at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Bourke overcome an awkward wide draw to have Floating perfectly poised outside the lead in the Listed $200,000 ATC Cup (2000m).

She hit the front at the top of the straight and raced away for the easiest of victories.

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“It’s very exciting,” Bourke said.

“I am so grateful to Matt (Smith) and all the owners to have the faith to put an apprentice on in a race like this.

“Just to have the opportunity and then to come out and get the result for them is just amazing.”

Bourke made the decision to push forward on Floating down the back straight as the gelding was over racing.

It proved a decisive move as Floating ($8.50) relished the conditions to score by three-and-a-quarter lengths from the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Converge ($17).

Townsend ($2.90 favourite) was third after missing the start.

“He was just a bit up and about today,” Bourke said.

“It wasn’t the plan to sit outside the leader but he jumped so well from that awkward gate.

🎈 Floating is too good for them in the Listed ATC Cup, and stakes win number 1 for @MollyBourke7! @mcsmithracing | @aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/Fka39qAUFe

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 30, 2024

“I just knew the whole race that every time someone put a bit of pressure on, I had a handful of horse underneath me.

“He loved the conditions out there.”

Floating has been a great money spinner for Smith and his connections with the ATC Cup his first stakes victory.

The son of Puissance De Lune was well beaten by Townsend last time but thrived with a lightweight of 53kg on his back to score.

“You like to see them win like that occasionally,” Smith said.

“It was very good. Molly summed it up.

“He generally doesn’t jump that well but he did today so she took the race up and he settled beautifully.

“He has been a bit unlucky but has been racing very well so it was good to see him relax today and he was travelling on the turn wasn’t he.”

Smith intends to push to the Listed $200,000 Christmas Cup (2400m) at Royal Randwick in a fortnight.

Originally published as Talented apprentice Molly Bourke produced a peach ride aboard Floating to claim her first stakes win in Listed ATC Cup at Rosehill