In a surprise hometown victory, unheralded mare Arabian Rose has gifted Sunshine Coast trainer James Healy his first stakes win in the Listed Glasshouse Handicap at Caloundra.

The mare was initially the third emergency when the final field was confirmed, and trainer Healy endured a nervous wait before Arabian Rose was able to gain a start following a number of scratchings.

“It has been the plan for a long time and when the ‘noms’ came out, I thought we were absolutely ‘none’,” Healy shared.

“But the stars aligned.

“The Glasshouse is staying home, and we’ll go again next year.”

The win was equally meaningful for jockey Tiffani Brooker, who had been the mare’s regular rider early in her career. A previous ride on the four-year-old at Caloundra in December last year was, by her own admission, a “bum steer”.

However, Brooker did not dwell on the past; instead, she focused on her work and earned her way back to the saddle, with her perseverance leading to the ultimate reward in Saturday’s Glasshouse Handicap (1400m).

“I had to sit on the sidelines for a little bit after a bum steer last preparation,” Brooker commented.

“I had a bit of success on her early days, but I did my time, and I kept showing up.

“I thought at the end of the carnival, if she gets a light weight, I might be back on her, just keep showing up.

“James was a bit nervous before the race and I said, ‘don’t worry, I’ll give her her chance and if she’s good enough, she’ll win.”

Arabian Rose ($19) lived up to Brooker’s confidence, pushing to the lead in the straight and digging deep under Brooker’s guidance to narrowly defeat Cifrado ($12). Anemacore ($12) finished third in a close contest where the margin between the first three horses was less than half a length.

Arabian Rose delivered a significant upset for punters, returning $19 with leading Aussie betting sites, while Cifrado and Anemacore both started at $12 after attracting interest across betting apps Australia.