Justin Wood and Ryan Hurdle underline apprentice depths

By Glenn Davis

BRISBANE, April 11 AAP - Apprentices Justin Wood and Ryan Hurdle underlined the depth of Brisbane's junior riding ranks when the pair were successful at Doomben on Wednesday.

Wood, who is on the comeback trail following a serious race fall, was successful aboard the Nathan Schofield-trained Delzina in the skyracing.tv Maiden Handicap (2200m).

New Zealander Hurdle landed his second city winner in Australia when Sweet And Vicious narrowly won the Queensland Frozen Food Services Maiden Handicap (1350m).

The pair form part of a strong group of apprentices currently riding in Brisbane headed by Patinack Farm's Tim Bell, Matt McGuren and former New Zealander Maija Vance who have been in scintillating form over the past few months.

Wood, 20, suffered serious injuries in a race fall at Rockhampton in May last year and had been back riding only a few weeks before he rode his first winner since making his comeback aboard Dansonate at Eagle Farm last month.

He suffered two vertebrae factures, a punctured lung, two broken ribs and a lacerated kidney in the fall.

Hurdle chose Brisbane as his destination after winning a $NZ5000 scholarship from New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing.

He started off riding in Brisbane last month on a 10-day trial with leading trainer Rob Heathcote but soon extended it to a three-month loan after returning home briefly to discuss his future with his family.

Hurdle, who has ridden more than 40 winners in New Zealand including a Group Three race, is the son of Palmerston North trainer Peter Hurdle.

His mother Nikki is also a trainer.

"I'd like to stay on permanently if I can," Hurdle said.

"I won a scholarship to come over here for 10 days and I was fortunate when I went back home that I managed to get a three-month loan here."

Heathcote was full of praise for Hurdle who never panicked when Sweet And Vicious got back in the early stages.

"It was a very clever and patient ride from Ryan and he never panicked when the filly got back after they jumped," Heathcote said.

"This filly hasn't had a lot of luck and it's surprised me she's taken so long to win her maiden."

Schofield, a former apprentice panel beater, produced his third metropolitan winner when Delzina downed Dozing Stampede by a long neck.

He took out his trainer's licence 13 years ago and has been based at Deagon for the past two years.

"I've trained for about 15 years around Newcastle and the Gold Coast and I also spent five years training on the Atherton Tablelands in north Queensland," he said.

"It was a good win from the filly but I've only had her for four runs."