Noted wet tracker Fibrillation took advantage of the conditions at Randwick on Saturday as she raced to a first-up win in the Listed Aspiration Quality.
Tim Martin’s confidence soared on race morning when rain was tumbling down, and Fibrillation ($9) didn’t let her trainer down as she held off Cabernet ($11) over the concluding stages to win by half a neck with stayer Older Than Time ($9) 1-1/2 lengths away third.
“When the rain came this morning I was disappointed for Pampelonne but very happy for this mare,” Martin said.
“It was a very good performance today. Once the rain came I was more confident because she has been going well at home and I deliberately didn’t give her a trial going into this because she goes well fresh.”
Martin scratched Fibrillation’s stablemate Pampelonne from Saturday’s Listed Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) because of the weather which had the track rated a Slow (7) to start the day.
“I didn’t want to start him on a wet track where he’s not as effective,” Martin said of the three-year-old.
“He’ll be saved for the Darby Munro Stakes in two weeks.”
Fibrillation settled in a good position on the fence from her inside draw and jockey Brenton Avdulla never needed to go around a horse as the gap appeared on the rail from the top of the straight.
Fibrillation sprinted quickly to hit the lead up the rise and despite tiring late she had enough of an advantage to hold out the fast-finishing Cabernet.
Avdulla has had plenty of success on runner-up Cabernet and was aware it was the Grahame Begg-trained mare chasing him down.
“Cabernet was outside me in the run and then she had to go a bit wider and I got an inside run,” Avdulla said.
“I thought I was home at the furlong (200m) but she got a little tired late and when I saw the purple cap coming I knew it was Cabernet.
“I knew she was going to come hard at us but my mare fought on and did a good job to win.”
Nash Rawiller, rider of third-placed Older Than Time, believes the Gai Waterhouse-trained mare is right on target for feature staying races in the autumn.
“She was a little bit dour but will win a good race over further,” Rawiller said.
