Imported mare Turaath has provided trainer Maddie Raymond with her first stakes race victory while at the same time opening up the prospects of a $1 million bonus.
Success in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday gives Turaath the chance to race for the bonus in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on October 30.
Turaath has been a revelation this campaign, graduating from a benchmark 64 grade win over 1400m at Sandown in July to success in Saturday’s race, in four starts.
Ridden by Damian Lane, Turaath ($5.50) scored by 1-¾ lengths from the resuming Tasmanian mare Mystic Journey ($14) with fellow Tasmanian Still A Star ($6) a neck away third.
Raymond, a one-time foreman for Darren Weir at Warrnambool, said she was super excited to finally crack it for a ‘black type’Â victory.
“She’s such a tough mare,” Raymond said.
“She sat out wide with no cover but she was rock hard fit and super competitive.
“She stepped just half a stride slow. We did think she’d settle wide with cover, which didn’t work out either, but she was super fit going into it.”
Raymond said she had been looking for reasons to give Turaath a break.
But she said Turaath, a five-year-old mare by Oasis Dream, was treated like a colt in her stable.
While the $1 million bonus looms large and is an obvious carrot, Raymond said she will not be making any decisions now with the race still seven weeks away.
“The way she relaxed today, even in the mounting yard and out the back, she’s definitely improving,” Raymond said.
“That’s not to say that we won’t (run) but we’ll get her home and have a chat to the owners and go from there.”
