Trainer Pat Duff maintained a five decade-old record when his apprentice Miki Nakao rode her first metropolitan winner on Grey Skies at Ipswich.

Duff is regarded among the elite of Australian masters of apprentices with some of his stars among his dozen junior riders including Group One winning jockeys Mick Dittman, Mike Pelling and Jim Byrne.

"I have had few apprentices who haven't made it town but of those who got city licences I think they all rode at least one city winner," Duff said.

Nakao moved from Japan to Australia about eight years ago and had stints in NSW and the ACT with Trevor Sutherland, Gratz Vella and Bernie Howlett.

She has been with Duff for about a year and has been riding all over Queensland with Grey Skies her 44th career winner.