The Emma Stewart prepared four-year-old Kiss confirmed her ranking as one of the best mares in Australia when she outclassed her rivals in the APG Vicbred Super Series (4YO Mares) Final.
Sent out the $1.33 favorite, Kiss was eased out at the start by Ryan Sanderson before making a mid-race move to sit parked outside the leader and main danger Sweet Ideal.
Kiss strolled to the front with 700 metres to travel and was untroubled to score by four metres from The Answer in a mile rate of 1:56.5. and reeling off a 53.9 last 800 metres in the process.
Sanderson said it was his intention to drift back from his pole draw.
“I just grabbed hold and took no risk to get off the pegs and I didn’t want to risk getting boxed in and then we were able to put her into the race and she made her own luck,” Sanderson said.
Sanderson said he decided to apply pressure on Chris Alford who was having his first drive on Sweet Ideal.
“I thought if he had a cold sit on my back he has got a really great sprint, so I thought I would sit outside him and keeping him honest would be the best way to beat him,” he said.
The win provided Stewart with success in both Vicbred Finals after Miki To Success successfully defended his Vicbred title in the 4YO Entires and Geldings Final earlier in the night.
Punters declared the event a ‘two horse race’, with Miki To Success ($2) and stablemate War Dan Buddy ($1.90 fav) stifling the betting, and that was the way the race panned out.
Miki To Success and Jackie Barker looped the field four wide to find the spot outside the leader War Dan Buddy with a lap to travel, and the latter appeared set for victory halfway down the straight. However, Miki To Success lifted in his customary manner to prevail on the line.
“That was a race, that’s for sure,” Barker said on returning to scale.
“He does always seem to flatten out on the bends, but he is a super tough horse and he keeps coming up the straight, and I thought he is still in this.
Halfway up the lane I thought I’m coming here, and that’s one thing about him, that he doesn’t lay down, he’s got a great attitude like that,” she said.
