Matt McGuren's win on Seeking More showed why he will have support of Brisbane's leading trainers when he graduates to senior riding ranks next week.
Starting favourite, Seeking More ($3.10) scored his first win in 14 months when he won the Horizon Superannuation Handicap at Doomben on Saturday.
McGuren comes out of his apprenticeship on Wednesday and Saturday was his last day in the metropolitan area with an allowance.
He completed a riding double at the meeting when he partnered the Rex Lipp-trained In The Genes in the PMP Limited Handicap.
"My boss Bruce Hill wants me to stay on the Gold Coast and a couple of other trainers have indicated they will use me. But I have a young family and I have to decide where I can earn money," McGuren said.
A former rodeo rider, McGuren has made a great fist of a comeback after moving from the NSW Northern Rivers to the Gold Coast.
He has ridden 219 winners, including 38 in the metropolitan area this season.
Seeking More's trainer Kelso Wood is a big fan of McGuren.
"Barriers make a big difference and I thought Seeking More had a great chance from barrier two with the speed coming from out wide," Wood said.
"But full marks to Matt, he rode him the way I wanted," Wood said.
Toowoomba apprentice Emma Ljung rode her first metropolitan winner when Tukiyo ($5) led all the way to win the Salmat Handicap.
Ljung, 22, who did her early riding in north Queensland before switching to the Darling Downs and recently outrode her provincial allowance.
She is the leading apprentice in the Toowoomba jockeys' premiership.
"I hope to come to the city a lot more in the new season. I was pleased to get on a good mare like Tukiyo and she really responded with the light weight in the straight," Ljung said.
Trainer Barry Lockwood is considering taking smart mare Hidden Pearl to the Ramornie Handicap at Grafton on July 8 after she scored her fourth win this campaign in the Robert Bax and Associates Handicap.
Lockwood said Hidden Pearl had got on the wrong leg when beaten at Ipswich at her previous start.