Pasadena Girl has underlined her rating as a stayer of the future with a come-from-behind win in the Group One Champagne Stakes at Randwick.
Unwinding from well back in the field, Pasadena Girl needed the entire length of the famous Randwick straight to win the $400,000 race.
After being sent out favourite at $2.80, the filly chimed in under Hugh Bowman at the 100m before drawing clear to beat Street Rapper ($11) by a half length.
Godolphin colt Tarquin ($8) took the minor placing, a length further back.
Trained by Peter Moody, Pasadena Girl won first two starts in Melbourne before drawing attention to her Champagne Stakes prospects with an eye-catching fourth in the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes.
Jockey Hugh Bowman revealed how he made a sacrifice to ride Pasadena Girl at 54.5kg.
“Fifty-four-and-a-half kilos is about as a low as I can go but I had a week to prepare and she didn’t let me down,” Bowman said.
Odyssey Moon, the only horse to race through the autumn triple crown series for two-year-olds after running in the Golden Slipper and the Sires’, performed below his best in finishing sixth.