Machine Gun Gracie concluded her stellar debut racing campaign with a powerful win in the WATC Schweppes Derby (2400m) at Ascot, confirming her place as Western Australia’s top three-year-old filly.
The Maschino filly replicated her dominant wins over the girls in the Natasha Stakes (2200m) and WA Oaks (2400m), showing similar authority against the colts to secure a feature race trifecta.
Since making her racecourse debut in February at Bunbury, the progressive filly has been ultra-consistent, winning four of her six starts and placing second in the remaining two.
Bought for just $45,000 at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, Machine Gun Gracie has returned over half a million dollars in prizemoney and bonuses, exceeding all expectations for trainer Justine Erkelens.
Saturday’s Group 2 WA Derby win stands as Erkelens’ career highlight, topping her previous black-type victories with runners like Own The Queen, Friar Fox and Action Pak.
Erkelens confirmed the filly will now enjoy a spell before preparing for the Ascot summer carnival, with the Northerly Stakes and Perth Cup high on the agenda.
“She’s pulled up good and is just incredible, she doesn’t really realise what she’s doing at the moment,” Erkelens told TABradio.
“She’s a special horse and seems to do everything you ask of her.
“I would like to prep her and have her run in the Northerly.
“I would like to win a race in Perth before we go east.
“I would like to win the Northerly Stakes and the Perth Cup.
“She would be good for that, but we’ll let the dust settle and see where we head.
“She just amazes me how she’s such a big horse, so young and can do everything.
“Nothing seems to faze her which is just weird.
“How she can run that fast just amazes me.”
Erkelens said she spotted the filly’s potential the first time she saw her at Scenic Stud.
“I went down to Scenic stud to look at some of the yearlings,” she said.
“I’d seen her when she came out and thought straight away, she just had the walk on her.
“She was big as a yearling but looked so put together.
“I just had to have her, and I bought her at the sales.
“It went from there.”
Shaun O’Donnell piloted Machine Gun Gracie to a commanding 1¾-length win, defeating Funchal and Sail Session, marking his second career triumph in the WA Derby.
The Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) is set to be run at Ascot in December.
