Kelly Stuart-Mitchell achieved a major milestone in her training career when she prepared Always Be Blakey to win the Lionheart Security Pace at Melton on Saturday night.
The result was a first metropolitan-level success for the 36-year-old, who started training in the 2019-20 season.
With James Herbertson in the sulky, Always Be Blakey ($2.25) enjoyed the sit behind the leader The Iron Duke before mustering a quick sprint to charge through the sprint lane and score running away by five meters from outsider Ferrigno ($151) in a mile rate of 1:52.8.
Herbertson revealed it was an apprehensive Stuart-Mitchell who handed him the reins prior to the race.
“Kelly was pretty nervous before the race, and I told her there was nothing to be nervous about as they are on every week and if it wasn’t this week it was going to be in the next few weeks,” Herbertson said.
“She does a really good job with her little team, and I’ve got a lot of time for her as a horseperson and as a trainer. Whenever she brings them to the races I have something to have a go at and I’d say her strike rate would show that.”
Stuart-Mitchell admitted she had been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to lead in her first metropolitan winner.
“I’ve been pretty hungry for my metro winner for a while now, so I am rapt he (Herbertson) could give me that tonight,” Stuart-Mitchell said.
“He’s been racing well and he’s better than his form suggests. He’s had a couple of hard runs, but we’ve got a lot of time for him and we knew it was coming sooner rather than later.”
Stuart-Mitchell trains a team of six horses, including 2023 Tontine Pacing Championship Final winner Blake Bolac.
“We’ve thought that this bloke could be better than Blake Bolac, but Blake Bolac is so tough, so it’s hard to separate the two of them,” she said.
Stuart-Mitchell’s memorable night was further enhanced a couple of hours later when the highly-promising Jilliby Ballerini, whom she part owns, led throughout in the Aldebaran Park Mares Trotters Free For All.