ZOE-LEE Cruickshank rode her first winner in more than four years at Grafton on Tuesday.
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The Inverell-based four kilogram claiming apprentice had won her last race on March 29, 2016.
After time away from racing, Cruickshank had her first race in four years on Saturday at Gunnedah. Her first race was on local trainer Mark Stewart's horse Rubel for seventh in the 1300m Benchmark 58 at Gunnedah.
She rode The Pharoah for a second place in Tamworth on Monday.
She had ridden two trials - on Paul Grills' horse Melted Moments and No Doubt Calypso - to re-acquire her jockey licence before Saturday's start.
Cruickshank landed in Grafton on Tuesday with just three rides.
Her first ride was No Doubt Calypso for Armidale trainer Mark Gwynne, the four-year-old gelding returning from a 55-week spell to finish 10 th in the second race of the day, the $22,000 Happy Birthday Darcy Everingham Maiden Plate (1115m).
That race was won by favourite, Wave Maker from the Ed O'Rourke stable and ridden by Ben Looker.
Zoe-Lee then waited until the fourth to snare a win for Mark Stewart's Inverell stable.
She led all the way on five-year-old mare Fight For Love to dominate the $22,000 Jacaranda Grove Grafton Class 1 Handicap (1420m).
The daughter of Fighting Sun won her maiden at her home track in a non-TAB maiden over 1400m on August 22. Mark Stewart, who also owns a share in the mare, was delighted.
"A great run, great ride," Mark Stewart told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
A great run, great ride.
- Mark Stewart
"Zoe's had a couple of years off. Rides good work at home."
It was his second win in the NRRA this season while Zoe-Lee posted her first win on a day where Grafton trainer Dwayne Schmidt began the day with home track success.
Schmidt's five-year-old gelding Define Tyranny snared his first win for Schmidt at just his fourth start for the Grafton stable.
