THIRTY-eight-year-old Irish jumps jockey Willie McCarthy, having taken the long way to Australia via America, landed a double at Warrnambool on Sunday winning the feature steeplechase on his first day of race riding in Australia.

Legged up by Henry Dwyer aboard The Dominator, the pair took out the A$100,000 Thackeray Steeplechase over 3,450 metres by a comfortable five lengths ahead of Police Camp and Bit Of A Lad.