Talented mare Risk Aversion proved she was the real deal and will chase Group One glory during the Brisbane winter carnival following her brilliant performance in the Listed Juanmo Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Risk Aversion ($6) looked in a hopeless position with one runner behind her on the home turn before unleashing an astonishing finish to run down leader Funtantes ($4.60 fav) to score by a half-head with Cariad ($7) a long neck away third.
Trainer Mick Lakey and winning jockey Chris Munce hatched a plan prior to the 1200-metre feature to allow the four-year-old to drop back to near the tail of the field from her wide gate and then hope for the best from the daughter of Encosta De Lago.
“We had nothing to lose from the alley and we were on a flogging to nothing to let her drop back,” Munce said.
Lakey said he would have been content to finish in the placings with 50 metres to go.
“I expected her to get back and it didn’t surprise me to see her that far off them,” Lakey said.
“I was hoping she could get third with 50 metres to go and she certainly found the line.”
Lakey is yet to win a Group race in his career but hopes Risk Aversion can achieve the goal in the Group One Tatt’s Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm in June.
“I’ll talk to her owners about stepping up her up in distance to 1350 metres next month and if she goes well, the Tatt’s Tiara later on,” he said.
Talented filly Hidden Jewel has some way to go yet to prove she’s a genuine contender for the Group One Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 2 despite her convincing win in the Listed Princess Stakes (1600m).
Hidden Jewel ($2.35 fav) had too much class for her rivals to score by 1-1/4 lengths from Rocksan ($21) with Tycoon’s Heart ($41) a half-length away third.
Trainer Matt Dunn has been training for 12 months on his own since breaking from Sydney trainer Gerald Ryan and rates the three-year-old as the best horse he’s trained.
“She showed her class today when she went forward from the alley,” Dunn said.
“Going to a mile third-up is hard but she did it well.”
Dunn will decide after Hidden Jewel’s next assignment in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) on May 5 whether the daughter of Hidden Dragon is a genuine Oaks prospect.
“We’ll see how she copes with 1800 metres first. Going to 2400 metres in the Oaks is a new pain barrier,” Dunn said.
Jockey Glen Colless was also reluctant to declare Hidden Jewel an Oaks prospect.
“She’s got too much brilliance at the moment but she’s learning steadily and maybe the 1800 metres will take some of her speed away,” he said.
