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Marc Lerner had to wait longer than expected to get his New Zealand riding career underway, but the well-travelled jockey made up for lost time with a winning debut at Otaki on Thursday.
Based in Singapore until racing ended there in October, the 33-year-old has arrived in New Zealand for an open-ended stay.
He had his first raceday rides on Thursday and hit the ground running, landing an upset win with $13 outsider Blue Rata Boldness in the Racing This Time TV on Facebook Handicap (1600m). Lerner got the very best out of the Trudy and Vaughan Keegan-trained gelding in a tough battle down the straight, edging out Knickerless and Lemaitre by a long neck and a half-head.
"It was super to start off with a win on my first day," said Lerner, whose other four rides on the eight-race Otaki card finished second, second, fourth and sixth.
"I can't be any happier with that. It's been quite frustrating, because I've had quite a lot of delays getting a visa. I hadn't ridden in a race since Singapore racing ended in October. I was hoping to get started here much sooner, but it's good to be here now and to get that early win."
New Zealand is the latest stamp in the passport of the French jockey, who rode more than 100 winners in his homeland and has also ridden in Germany, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Singapore.
Lerner enjoyed the most successful phase of his career in Singapore, where he rode over 200 winners at Kranji including numerous big-race successes aboard the likes of the Trelawney Stud-bred superstar Lim's Kosciuszko and his quality Kiwi-bred stablemate Lim's Saltoro.
He guided Lim's Kosciuszko to victories in the Singapore Gold Cup (2000m), Kranji Mile (1600m), Queen Elizabeth II Cup (1800m), Lion City Cup (1200m) and EW Barker Trophy (1400m), while his partnership with Lim's Saltoro produced wins in the Singapore Derby (1800m), Stewards' Cup (1600m) and Silver Bowl (1400m).
Lerner also won the Singapore Derby with Hard Too Think, whose Kiwi trainer Stephen Gray has himself returned to New Zealand this season after two decades at Kranji. Gray played a big role in bringing Lerner to these shores.
"I had a very good association with Stephen Gray in Singapore, we had a lot of wins together over the years," Lerner said. "When racing finished there, he suggested to me that I should try coming to New Zealand and seeing how I go here. I really have to thank Stephen and his wife Bridget, they have been a big help in getting my visa sorted out and getting me here. I'm very grateful."
Lerner is basing himself in the Central Districts, and he has two rides booked at Trentham on Saturday – the Kevin and Stephen Gray-trained Cosentino in The Breeze Wellington 3YO (1200m) and the Suzy Gordon-trained Prioress in the Roydon Bergerson Racing (1200m).
"I'm not sure yet how long I'm going to be riding here, I'll keep an open mind on that and see how it goes," he said. "I just want to enjoy as much as I can.
"The more success you have, the longer you want to stay, so I'm hoping to have a bit of luck over the next few weeks and months. We'll see what happens."