Apprentice riders Alexandra Bryan and Carleen Hefel have made the most of rare opportunities at the major Melbourne meeting for the week with both riders registering their first Saturday Melbourne winners at Ladbrokes Park.

With stakes races at three interstate venues on Saturday thinning out the Victorian jockey’s ranks, the mature-aged apprentices scored narrow but groundbreaking victories in the second and third events.

Bryan, a 23-year-old winner of 83 races, scored on $7 chance Whipcracker Way in the Benchmark 78 sprint over 1000 metres before 31-year-old Hefel followed up with a narrow but popular win on the heavily-backed Altai Ranger ($3.10 equal favourite).

WATCH: Whipcracker Way wins at Ladbrokes Park

Bryan said of Whipcracker Way: "He ran super. I rode him in work all the time but he’s a funny, quirky little thing so I’m happy we got there.

"He’s just a bit temperamental, has his little quirks running sideways and getting a bit too excited for slow work but that was good.

"He’s a horse that you need to let get into his own little rhythm and keep him where he is happy and where he was he was happy.

"He gave a nice kick when I asked him to. I wasn’t sure how he would in his first start back but I was very happy."

Hefel had ridden 10 city winners in Perth before she returned to Victoria, but said the win of Altai Ranger was most welcomed, especially as it came for trainer John Sadler, who gave her such an opportunity.

Sadler could not hide his excitement for the rider. "(I am) very pleased for Carleen Hefel," he said.

"She’s apprenticed to Julian Welsh who is our horsebreaker and she’s done a fantastic job educating a lot of our young horses and to have her here to ride her first Saturday winner in Melbourne is also a big thrill."