It took a couple of starts longer than expected by the Ciaron Maher stable, but Missapprehend is on the board after breaking her maiden in style at Sandown on Thursday.
The daughter of Wootton Bassett bounced back from unplaced runs when hard in the market in provincial maidens at her first two starts to score a soft win in the $55,000 Sportsbet Race Previews Plate (1400m).
Maher’s national assistant trainer Jack Turnbull was relieved to see the $600,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase, who is out of a sister to Group 2 winner Passive Aggressive, break through and is confident it will not be her last win.
“She’s always showed promise and we were a bit disappointed in her first couple that she’d been beaten, because we really thought she’d start her career pretty dominantly,” Turnbull said.
“But, third start, a metro maiden (win), it all adds up.
“She was an expensive Magic Millions purchase who we are sure will go on with. She’s got a bit of quality.”
That was on display when jockey Ethan Brown, who settled Missapprehend behind the leader, asked her to quicken back to the inside early in the straight, which the $2 favourite did sufficiently to score a one-length win over Miss Miranda ($19).
“She won with a bit of authority then,” Brown said.
“She did have a soft run in transit, but she’s putting it together. I think she was aided today by a good barrier and a bigger track.
“She had to go back to the inside, but she had plenty of room, which gives her confidence and she found the line well. She’s still a bit raw, but she’s going to furnish in a lovely horse in time.”
