Punters were left as flat as the beaten favourite Lord Of The Sky after Saturday’s Group Three Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield.
Lord Of The Sky firmed into $1.40 to claim his second straight Group Three win but the Robbie Laing-trained colt’s chances were gone as soon as jockey Dwayne Dunn asked him for an effort at the 300m.
Dunn was happy to let Lord Of The Sky race outside Le Bonsir, which set a strong tempo for the first 800m, but the colt showed little under pressure in the straight.
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“He was very disappointing,” Dunn said.
“I was happy to straighten up and start to build but they just picked him straight off.”
Adelaide filly Thiamandi swept past Lord Of The Sky before driving clear late to score by two lengths after easing from $11 to $19.
Thiamandi’s win provided further impetus for the three-year-old’s trainer Lloyd Kennewell’s pre-wedding celebrations in Las Vegas.
Thiamandi’s jockey Michael Rodd was content to let his mount stalk the two leaders before the filly shocked him with her strong acceleration.
“I had to be mindful she needed to run the 1200 metres out,” Rodd said.
“I rode her to run well and run on but the next thing, she was travelling sweetly behind them and she hadn’t done any work.
“I didn’t think she was going to come out and win a Group Three race but she just had that soft run and that good acceleration.”
Lord Of The Sky weakened to finish fourth while honest mare Gig finished well from last to grab second ahead of another Adelaide galloper, Nearest To Pin.
Gig’s trainer Shawn Mathrick was thrilled with the mare’s effort after dropping back from her last run at 1600 metres, adding he would run her next in the Group Two PB Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield on August 16.
