Hardy mare Placement, having the 18th start of her current preparation, earned a trip to Adelaide for the Centaurea Stakes when she proved too strong for the open males at Caulfield.
The four-year-old daughter of Savabeel fell in to win a Geelong 1300m fillies and mares maiden when resuming on August 12 last year and the longest gap between runs since has been five weeks.
Trainer Danny O’Brien said he had given Placement a bit of time at his Barwon Heads property between runs.
“She does a bit of beach work and without that she certainly wouldn’t have had 18 runs this preparation,” he said.
“She’s just been a pleasure to train. She’s a very genuine horse.
“As as a three-year-old she ran in the better fillies races, running second in the Wakeful and third in the (VRC) Oaks, and now she’s a bit stronger as a four-year-old and she’s won three of her last four which is something and I don’t think you would ever have said about her.”
Placement has indeed been well placed by O’Brien with her victory in the Monjon Security Hcp (1800m) being her fourth city win and her third from her last four starts.
She has now won on every metropolitan course in Melbourne.
Ridden by Melbourne’s leading apprentice Katelyn Mallyon, Placement ($4.60) led all the way to score by 1-1/2 lengths from Turnitup ($4.60) with last-start Easter Cup winner Folding Gear ($3.20 fav) 1-3/4 lengths away third.
Mallyon has ridden the mare eight times including her four city wins and hasn’t been out of a place on her, and O’Brien has a big wrap on the 18-year-old.
“I’ve been using her (Mallyon) for six months and she hasn’t made any mistakes,” he said.
“She’s the pick of the apprentices from my point of view.
“Horses really travel for her. You can have all the tactical nous in the world but if you don’t have that ability to make horses run it won’t work for you.
“Horses just go for her.”
The Listed Centaurea Stakes (2000m) is run at Morphettville on May 12.
