Earls Buller Girl provided Buchan with her first training success when she bolted away from the rest of the 1-4 win trot field to win by 3 lengths.
The Earl mare put in some nice performances at Forbury Park over the winter, but she was ignored by punters yesterday, paying $25.70, but winning like a $2 shot.
Westport trainer Trevor Craddock sent the mare to Buchan in March, having provided Buchan with her first driving win on Ruweisat Ridge at Forbury Park in May last year.
Buchan opted to take out a training licence at the start of last season.
''I've got some more horses coming up. I had some I trained unofficially, so I decided I might as well go for it.''
Buchan is not from a racing background, although her grandfather ''used to muck about with the odd trotter many moons ago'', but she started helping out her brother-in-law Craig Buchan ''about 20 years ago.
''I started helping Craig and Craig was the one who got me into it.''
Buchan received plenty of congratulations from other trainers and drivers yesterday, and ''satisfaction'' is the best way to describe winning a race, she said.
''It keeps you buzzing and keeps you going,'' she said.
''You train them and things go wrong, but when you actually get a win and it's a nice win, it's a real satisfaction in knowing that you done it and you did it by yourself.''
Earls Buller Girl will be heading back to Craddock - most likely at the end of August - as he prepares her for the Christmas circuit on the West Coast, but the 6yr-old has certainly gained some ringcraft during her time in Otago.
''She's learned a lot. She came down [from the West Coast] to learn a bit, and she's certainly done that.''
Earls Buller Girl's departure will leave room for Buchan to try her own trotter.
''When she goes home, I'll bring my 3yr-old trotter in. But that's it at the moment. I'm too busy at work [at New Zealand Couriers] at the moment.''
