Unbeaten filly Total Attraction continues to surprise the Peter Moody stable and she posted her second win after jockey Ben Melham avoided a home straight traffic jam at Caulfield.
Moody also had favourite Szewinska ($3.40) and Pilbara Sand ($10) in Saturday’s seven-horse Ian Miller Handicap (1400m) but Total Attraction ($8) upstaged them with a strong finish from last.
Melham’s decision to go around the field proved a winner with Total Attraction having an uninterrupted run and scoring by 1-3/4 lengths from Gig and Pilbara Sound.
Szewinska, who had won her last two starts at Benalla and Ballarat, led but got turned sideways and finished fifth after Eleve, ridden by Jake Duffy tried to force a run on her outside.
Eleve (sixth) almost fell and stewards considered Duffy’s eagerness as careless and suspended him for eight meetings from January 17 to January 25 after he serves an 11-meeting suspension incurred at Geelong last Wednesday which starts from Saturday night.
Total Attraction showed her talent on debut at Sale where she flashed home from well back in the field to win.
After watching the race replay Melham decided to use similar tactics at Caulfield and the race panned out perfectly.
“The tempo helped today and I let them go and waited to come off the back of them and give her a bit of room,” Melham said.
He said Total Attraction would improve with racing as she was still inclined to stargaze.
“She had them covered pretty easily and when she got to the front she had a bit of a look around,” Melham said.
Moody’s racing manager Jeff O’Connor said Total Attraction performed much better on race day compared to track mornings.
“She is proving to be a better race day horse,” O’Connor said.
“She has surprised us that she has been able to do what she has at her first and second starts.
“We had her pegged at her first start she would want a mile (1600m) and she’s on track to progress to that.”
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