Satono Glow, hailing from Sydney, made the most of the slippery conditions to post a decisive win at Flemington.
Expectations for Saturday’s Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m) centred on a clash between $2.10 market leader Gin Twist and $3.10 contender Jadzia.
The pair of fillies knew the Flemington straight from before, which generally aids their performance on revisits.
Pre-race doubts centred on the heavy track resulting from overnight downpours and morning drizzle.
Satono Glow ($4.20) under Jamie Melham took control, winning by three lengths from Salann ($41) as Gin Twist filled third a nose away.
Having duelled at the head of affairs with Gin Twist, Jadzia lost ground to finish fifth, eight lengths off the mark.
Melham arrived at the Saturday race assured that Satono Glow was primed to beat her hyped-up foes, her soft-track prowess highlighted by her maiden victory at Warwick Farm on March 11.
“I was confident but with fillies down the straight for the first time, you don’t want to leave it too late because they can promise the world and then get lost,” Melham said.
“Credit to the team educating this little filly. She was a bombproof ride today and I feel that the Sydney horses normally go well in the wet as they are used to being trained on the softer tracks up there.
“She loved the wet today and the way she got through it, this horse was a very easy ride in the end.
“Her attitude really impressed me. She’s a small horse to the eye but the feel she gave me, she felt like she had a really big stride underneath her and she settled like she will get further in time.”
For trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, Jade Lys noted a lack of definite plans, but the filly is set to go home to Sydney with eyes on a slot in The Championships program.
“We couldn’t have been happier with her since her last start,” Lys said.
“She won in the soft last start, so we were not worried about the rain today.”
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