Australia’s wonder mare picked up where she left off as a filly with a dominant first-up victory in Ballarat on Wednesday night.
Ladies In Red, who hadn’t been seen at the races since her triumph in the Vicbred Super Series 3YO Fillies Final at Melton on December 31, crushed her rivals in the Australian Pacing Gold 4YO Mares heat at Bray Raceway.
New reinsman Nathan Jack made no mistakes with his first drive of the Emma Stewart-trained star, quickly weaving a passage to the front from a barrier eight draw and then dictating terms out in front before sizzling home in a 26.2sec final quarter.
Ladies In Red defeated stablemates Joanna and Tough Tilly, who both took peg line runs to claim second and third respectively.
“Obviously I didn’t want to stay behind the one horse (Kendys Butterfly) and then the two horse (Beach Music) galloped so that sort of made it harder. We had to go around a few,” Jack told Ballarat and District Trotting Club’s David Brehaut after the race.
“As soon as the opportunity was there to get around them, I took it straight away. She won as she liked. It was a slowly run race and a quick quarter, but it was probably all she needed going into next week.
“I’ve been lucky enough to drive a lot of good fillies like Broadways Best and horses like (her) just come to mind, but no doubt she’s the best one I’ve driven that’s for sure.”
Ladies In Red, an 18-time winner from 21 career starts, is now destined for the Group 1 APG 4YO Mares Final at Tabcorp Park Menangle on May 7.
In the APG 4YO Entires and Geldings’ heat on Wednesday, Stewart’s Beyond Delight produced a devastating sprint in the home straight to run down early leader and stablemate Act Now and win by 4.1m.
LADIES IN RED @nathanjack10 @TonkinStewart goes whoosh mid-race to go to the lead and set up victory in @AustPacingGold 4yo mares heat @Bdtc150 R6 Congrats to Lauriston Bloodstock pic.twitter.com/sTjmzKilaN
— Ballarat & District Trotting Club (@Bdtc150) April 27, 2022
“She won as she liked.” Nathan Jack chatted with us after driving champion mare Ladies In Red to a first-up victory @Bdtc150 on Wednesday night – his first race drive on her. @TheTrotsComAu @TonkinStewart @nathanjack10 @codywinnell @chrissymonal @AdamHSport pic.twitter.com/TqbYgpHQwq
— Ballarat & District Trotting Club (@Bdtc150) April 27, 2022
