Trans-Tasman stakes success for Always B Miki
It was big weekend for Always B Miki with stakes winners on both sides of the Tasman, with Mister Smartee snaring another Group 1 at Gloucester Park on Friday night and Cool For Cats claiming the Group 2 Delightful Lady Classic at Alexandra Park on the same evening.
The Gary Hall Snr trained Mister Smartee followed up his stunning Nullarbor victory from the previous weekend with a dominant performance in the $300,000 Freemantle Cup over the longer 2,936m trip.
Following out Catch A Wave from the gate, driver Gary Hall Jnr elected to remain in the trail until pushing out with 400m to run and sprinting home strongly to win going away by just over a length and a half from Minstrel.
The win was Mister Smartee’s 18th from just 23 starts and took his earnings to $1,263,030.
Bred by Dancingonmoonlight he is out of the Stonebridge Regal mare Luna Danza.
At Alexandra Park on Friday night, the Robert and Jenna Dunn trained Cool For Cats broke through for her maiden win in style, downing the hot favourite Ripples in the Delightful Lady Classic.
Four back on the marker pegs for the last round, Cool For Cats stormed home once clear to nab the previously unbeaten Ripples on the line to win by a nose.
The Captain Crunch filly, The Queens Gambit was third a length and a half further back.
Bred by Bill and Pauline Bain, Cool For Cats is out of the Bettor’s Delight mare Bunter’s Dream, a race winning daughter of the two-time NZ Age Group Pacing Filly of the Year, Westen Dream.