Diamond Drille has redeemed herself with a race record at Randwick, just a week after a below-par showing at Warwick Farm.
The mare’s 1.35.47sec for the 1600m of Saturday’s Aspiration Quality broke Sacred Choice’s race record of 1.35.54, set in 2010.
Diamond Drille - Photo by Steve Hart
Trainer Gai Waterhouse said the win proved last week’s eighth-placed Wiggle Stakes (1400m) finish was an anomaly for the beautifully bred mare.
Waterhouse was critical of the track at last week’s Warwick Farm meeting, saying feature race meetings should not be run at the outer Sydney track.
“It just vindicates what you get on a good track like Randwick (not) like that horrible Warwick Farm track,” Waterhouse said.
The mare exploded to the front of the pack in a tightly contested run on the home straight.
Stable representative Mark Newnham agreed last week’s poor showing was not a fair display of Diamond Drille’s ability.
“She was just trapped in the worst part of the going at Warwick Farm,” he said.
Jockey Tim Clark said he had to be patient during the stop-start race, before taking a deep breath and making his run.
Victory was especially sweet given Diamond Drille had been rested for a year with a tendon injury, thrilled owner Greg Kolivos said.
Waterhouse said she was considering the Epona Stakes and the Emancipation Stakes for the mare’s next runs
Mahara and Danesiri rounded out the placings.
