The 20-year-old, who went to 91 wins for the season, had racked up six city victories before Saturday at Rosehill, but those had been at midweek meetings or at metropolitan class programs held outside Sydney. The most recent success was a double at Scone's standalone program the previous Saturday.

Gibbons is planning a charge at next season's city apprentices' title in what will be just his third campaign in the saddle.

However, with top jockeys away at Doomben's washed out program, he took the chance to head to town and was rewarded with an easy win on $20 shot Arapaho. The French import relished the heavy surface in the benchmark 78 handicap (1800m) to win by more than seven lengths. It was his first victory in nine Australian starts.

"It wasn't very pretty, but at least we got the job done," Gibbons told Sky Racing.

"The first part of the race worked out perfectly. We were just three wide that second line with cover and I thought, this can't be better. But then the second part of the race we lost cover and I was a bit worried from there, especially from the 600.

"I just wanted to keep tabs on him, but he just picked up the bit and just towed me right through it. I didn't want to go that early and hit the front on straightening when I was three wide, no cover. I didn't have much choice, I was just a passenger, so I'll take it."

Newcastle's meeting on Saturday was washed out.

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