Brilliant four-year-old Captains Mistress is poised to become the first mare in 20 years to win the Group 1 Chariots Of Fire following her stunning victory in the Benstud Standardbreds Queen Of The Pacific at Melton.
The Jason Grimson-trained daughter of Captaintreacherous was in a class of her own as she opened up a gap approaching the home turn before toying with the best mares in the country down the home straight.
The official margin back to the runner-up, Joans Rising Star, was 25 metres as Captains Mistress ($1.20 fav) returned a mile rate of 1:54.2 for the 2760 metres.
Driver Cam Hart was in awe of the performance.
“That was awesome, she’s a bit of a freak, this one,” Hart said.
“She gives you such a great feel with the speed that she’s got.
“She showed the good horse that she is tonight over the long trip to show the stamina as well, and to beat a mare like Eye Keep Smiling and to do what she’s done in the last couple of starts to her is pretty impressive,” he said.
Hart compared Captains Mistress favourably with the best horses he has driven of either sex.
“She’s right up there, no doubt. She’s probably got the most freakish ability that I’ve sat behind, just the speed that she’s got,” he said.
West Australian pacer Innocent Eyes was the last mare to take out the Chariots Of Fire when Gavin Lang steered her to victory in 2006 at Harold Park.
