The 17-year-old notched up his first win at Victorian harness racing headquarters last Saturday night by steering Radius to victory in the E. K. Bray Country Clubs Pace Final at Tabcorp Park Melton.

It came a week after another milestone, his first drive in a Group 1 race aboard Soho Senna in the $210,000 Australian Pacing Gold Final for four-year-old entires and geldings, also at Melton.

Sanderson, who together with his family, moved to Charlton in March, could not have been happier to have scored his breakthrough Melton win.

"They are hard to get, but I was very excited," he said.

"I knew he was a good, nice horse, but he got a good bad draw and he needed a lot of things to go right.

"In the end, a lot of things just went perfectly for him. They went hard early, which worked out nicely for us."

Radius, a six-year-old gelding, was able to just outlast the Julie Douglas-trained Hayden Bromac, with Sheffield Sparky and Daylight Dawn close by in third and fourth.

All four top placegetters started the race from the back row, with the David Barbetti-trained Radius coming from six deep on the bell to grab the win.

It continued a remarkable first few months for Sanderson since his arrival from New South Wales in mid-March.

The teenager has racked up 14 wins and 17 minor placings in his short time on Victorian soil.

While Soho Senna finished well back in the field the previous week, Sanderson said he was unlikely to ever forget his Group 1 debut.

"I was lucky he was able to qualify for that race - he wasn't quite up to them, but he did the best he could," he said.

"It was good going up against some of the big names, surprisingly enough I wasn't that nervous.

"There was no real pressure, it was cool just being out there.

"It's been a pretty good few months, I've been able to get on some pretty good horses - it's making it a lot of fun.

"It helps when you get a winner or two, the trainers see your name out there and you are able to pick up a drive or two."

Sanderson is headed back to Melton this weekend for three drives and will again partner Radius in the $20,000 NR 68 to 77 pace.

He will also be aboard Dikerry for his father Shane Sanderson and Rigondeaux for Bendigo trainer Haydon Gray in the NR 56 to 69 trot.

Among Radius and Sanderson's rivals will be the Julie Douglas-trained Would You Mind, who kick-started a brilliant night for the region's trainers and drivers, by taking out the first race on the program on Saturday night.

Driven by Glenn Douglas, Would You Mind produced a blistering run after being held up on thr turn to narrowly prevail ahead of Iconic Major and Lets Make Tracks in a thrilling finish.

The win has contributed to a tally of 43 for the season for Julie Douglas, who sits third on the state trainers' premiership rankings.

Also returning to Melton on Saturday will be the Leigh Graham-trained Major Manbar, who broke through for his eighth win in 33 career starts at headquarters last Saturday.

The five-year-old gelding, with James Herbertson in the sulky, scored his second win of the season, and will be stepping up in class on Saturday night.

Graham also enjoyed success the previous night at Bendigo with Tophut Johny, with Sanderson the winning driver.

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