Three city wins in two weeks has boosted the confidence of apprentice Kayla Nisbet and she is looking to build on her recent success with a permanent move to Victoria.
Nisbet has been on loan to Hall of Fame trainer David Hayes for the past couple of months and has earned her place with the resurgent stable based at Euroa in country Victoria.
Her victory on spring carnival-bound sprinter Pago Rock on Saturday at Flemington was a demonstration of what Hayes believes can be a benefit for his stable in the coming months.
"That three-kilogram claim with her experience is just wonderful," Hayes said.
Nisbet grew up in racing with her father John a successful jockey and now trainer in Canberra.
The 18-year-old rode around 80 winners in the country before looking to make a move to a bigger stable to gain more experience and opportunities in the provincial and metropolitan areas.
The change from working in a small stable in Canberra to one of the biggest operations in the country has been a big part of the learning experience for Nisbet.
"It's been really good but very different. My dad only had 20 horses in work so going from that to Dave who has 120 is a big change," she said.
Nisbet opened her city account with a win on the Hayes-trained Poitier at Mornington on June 10.
An all-the-way success on Spacecraft at Moonee Valley five days later was followed by her first Flemington win on Pago Rock.
The 18-year-old is delighted to be staying on with the Hayes team, something she didn't expect, and said the trainer had shown a lot of confidence in her.
"If I go back home I think it would be a bit hard to get rides because I don't have a claim in the country in New South Wales any more," Nisbet said.
"So while I still have time left in my apprenticeship and things are going well here, it just makes sense to stay."