Pat Ryan has countless achievements in the racing industry but at Warrnambool on Thursday he experienced a thrill previously enjoyed by those who supported him.
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Ryan's son, trainer Simon, gave his 74-year-old dad his first share in a horse and it duly saluted at its home track.
Mustang Harry, ridden by Bradley Thomas-Rantall, beat Periscope by more than a length in the 2350-metre race.
"Pat has been involved in the racing industry for over 62 years as a jockey and trainer but never owned a horse," Simon told The Standard.
"I gave Pat a share in Mustang Harry. He does a lot of work around my stables. Pat's had a real spring in his step since the horse came into the stable in August.
"He's really excited since the horse won. The win is also great for another owner John Gavin. He's been a very loyal owner to me for many years."
The long-term plan for Mustang Harry is a jumps career and Ryan is confident the five-year-old could measure up to the obstacles.
"We've done a lot of schooling over the jumps with Mustang Harry," he said.
"Mustang Harry is only a five-year-old and he's been lightly raced. He's really impressed me with his schooling.
"I've got to give a lot of credit to Bradley. He's done a lot of work on the horse and has a good understanding of him. We'll just look around for another distance race for his next start within a few weeks."
