Five-year-old Missybeel (NZ) (Savabeel) has landed a valuable stakes win with an upset victory in the Group Three Epona Stakes at Rosehill.
The Bjorn Baker-trained mare enjoyed a good run behind leader Greysful Glamour in Saturday’s 1900m race for fillies and mares before peeling out at the top of the straight to make her challenge.
With Tim Clark aboard, Missybeel ($21) took over at the 200m and held off Gayatri ($8.50) to score by a head with Greysful Glamour ($7) holding third, another 1-3/4-lengths away.
It was Missybeel’s sixth win from 32 starts but her first victory at stakes level.
“She had a nice run and relaxed well,” Clark said.
“That gave her a good opportunity to finish off. She followed the right horse, the grey horse took me everywhere I needed to go.
“She sprinted up well and toughed it out really strongly.
“It was a nice race for her against the mares to try and get some black-type.”
The winner of six races, Missybeel became the 99th stakes winner for her champion sire Savabeel.
“I know she was at a price, but she’s always been a consistent mare and shown promise at home,” stable representative Stephen McLean said.
“Early days with Bjorn he did say she is a mare who has ability, but struggled with her breathing — hence why she wears a tongue tie.
“The key today was getting into a comfortable rhythm and building on it into the straight, and Tim Clark summed it up perfectly.”
“We’ll get her home and check her out. With everything going on you have to take it day by day. She was already a valuable mare before today and her value has just gone up again as a Group Three winner.”
