After battle to get licence, Catherine Van Munster wins at only her fifth ride

"I've won two Hobart Cups but apart from that I don't think I've been this excited," Luttrell said after 26-year-old Van Munster broke through at only her fifth race ride.

Luttrell explained that he had gone into bat for the young jockey when she couldn't get a licence to ride in races despite spending seven years as a trackwork rider.

"She rang me up about 18 months ago, crying, to tell me that she was getting out of the industry," the trainer recalled.

"She said all she wanted to do was ride in races and she felt like that wasn't going to happen.

"I told her I thought I could find a job for her at my stables and she's turned out to be a real hard worker who never misses a day."

However Luttrell said it was still a battle to get the board to tick off on Van Munster's licence.

"I ended up blewing with them," he said.

"But it was worth it because I'm sure she's going to be a good little rider. She's not scared and she rides well."

Steel Mist was last in the early stages of the Class 3 Handicap before Van Munster worked around the field mid-race to find the front.

The five-year-old Toronado gelding was challenged strongly in the straight but held on to beat the favourite Nicco The Greek by a short half head.

"It was a good ride," Luttrell said.

"She said they were walking early and, knowing that I'd told her the horse was very fit, she showed initiative and took off."

It was Steel Mist's third win since coming from Victoria where he had four unplaced runs.

"He was coming off a bottler of a run at Spreyton at his previous start and hasn't really run a bad race since I've had him," Luttrell said.

Lightly-raced mare Ole Ola again impressed with an easy win in the Benchmark 64 Handicap.

Apprentice Taylor Johnstone gave Ole Ola a nice run just off the pace before the Scott Brunton-trained four-year-old sprinted clear to score by 3-1/4 lengths.

It was her third win from only eight starts and middle-distance feature races over the summer carnival look likely long-term targets.

Ole Ola, bred by Andrew Scanlon, is by Cox Plate winner Adelaide from quality Tasmanian mare Genuine Blonde who won her first four starts as a two-year-old before winning the Thousand Guineas and being placed in the Strutt Stakes at three.

Her other foals include Launceston Cup winner Genuine Lad, listed two-year-old winner Radha Rani and handy sprinter-miler Jeremiah.

Longford trainer John Blacker took training honours at the meeting with a treble of good-priced winners - Mira Flores, Bellasario and Doonican.

The Ulverstone Cup harness meeting at Mowbray on Sunday night had to be called off due a problem with the track lights.

Launceston Pacing Club secretary Michelle French said that vandals had broken into an electrical box and cut the wires.

Stewards were meeting to discuss a rescheduling of the meeting.