The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Fully Lit led most of the way to win the Group 3 $250,000 Cameron Handicap (1500m), while Bjorn Baker’s Perfumist finished powerfully to win the Group 3 $250,000 Tibbie Stakes (1400m).
The Cameron win ensures Fully Lit is eligible for The Big Dance on Melbourne Cup Day, November 3, but there is another feature Randwick mile he might target before that race.
Fully Lit ran second in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap behind champion mare Autumn Glow last year and is very well weighted on 50kg for a second attempt to win the $1.5 million feature mile at Royal Randwick on October 3.
Stable representative Neil Paine singled out jockey Regan Bayliss for particular praise after Fully Lit ($5.50) warded off challengers in the straight to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths from I’mintowin ($6.50), with Mr Miller ($1.80 favourite) a half-length away third.
“When Regan walked out to ride the horse he was very confident and said he wanted to go to the front,” Paine said. “It was a great ride and Fully Lit is just a tough, little horse. He’s run second in an Epsom, he won a $2 million race (Inglis Millennium) and now he has come here and won a Cameron.
“He’s been a great horse for his owners, for Red Fox Racing, and for Gai and Adrian.”
Fully Lit, who ran third in the Cameron Handicap last year behind Headley Grange, was “on song today”, according to Bayliss.
“That was a peak performance from the horse,” Bayliss said. “He took complete control of the race and was too good.”
Earlier, Perfumist ($3.60 favourite) was confidently ridden by Rachel King and accelerated clear of her rivals in the straight to win the Tibbie Stakes by two-and-a-half lengths from Mareth ($10), with Polymnia ($5) nearly a length away third.
“She deserved that,” King said of Perfumist’s runaway win.
“This preparation she is bigger, stronger and more mature. She has always shown promise and hopefully she can continue to improve.
“She has a good turn of foot and will get a lot of confidence out of that win. She is going super.”
Baker wasn’t on track for Perfumist’s easy win, but stable manager Luke Hilton said the trainer has big plans for the talented mare, including the Group 3 Angst Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on Everest Day, October 17, and then the Listed $3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Royal Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day, November 3.
“Perfumist was fantastic today,” Hilton said.
“Full credit to Bjorn, he’s done an amazing job. She hasn’t had the best first-up record but Bjorn did things differently this time, giving her an exhibition gallop and a couple of good gallops at home, and it has paid off.
“She is right on target for the Angst and the Big Dance.”
