Michelle Fleming celebrated a career first at Gunnedah on Saturday.
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The Kootingal trainer enjoyed her maiden picnic cup success with St Luke saluting in the Bold Karioi Picnic Cup (1600m).
The eight-year old was Fleming's first-ever picnic race runner and held off local hope About Time (Gavin Groth) by a long neck to score his first win since October last year.
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"Gav Groth's horse, it was coming home," Fleming said.
"But [jockey] Alexandre (Lemarie) he wanted the win, he rode him really well."
After sitting around second or third for most of the trip, she said St Luke really "started coming into the race" around the turn.
She was confident going in he would run well. She knew he'd like the track and said he was looking and feeling well in his work.
It was Fleming's fifth win with the gelding since he joined her stable in 2017.
"The owner unfortunately he wasn't there. [But] I was talking to him on the phone throughout the race," she said.
"It was really good for him. He's a really nice horse."
"He's done really well for the owners. He's always there abouts."
After bursting onto the scene - he finished second, third, first, first and first in his first give starts - a retirement isn't too far off for St Luke now.
"We're looking at retiring him soon," Fleming said.
"A friend of mine is going to take him, and he'll be a nice hack horse for her."
A few more good results like Saturday though might delay those plans for a bit longer.
"If he keeps racing well, we might get a couple more races out of him," she said,
Depending on how he pulls up, she said she might look to back him up at Tamworth on Friday.
At the moment things are a little bit quieter on the racing front for Fleming. Most of her better horses are out spelling, leaving time to concentrate on getting some of her younger horses race ready.
"I'm enjoying just having a few in work and working with the young ones," she said.
She said they are at a nice stage now where they are settling into their routine and aren't far off trialling.
