Frumos has recorded a slender victory over stablemate Saigon with winning margin so narrow trainer Chris Waller had thought the pair shared the spoils.
A stride for stride battle between Frumos and Saigon over the concluding stages saw the pair hit the line in unison before a lengthy deliberation ensued in the judges box.
Eventually, it was Frumos who was awarded victory in the 3YO+ F&M Tab Benchmark 78 Handicap (1500m), but only after trainer Chris Waller assumed his stable had claimed a dead heat victory.
“Oh there is a nose is there? I thought it was a dead heat,” Waller said.
“That’s as close as they get. I thought Tommy (Saigon) had the race in the bag and Frumos was just labouring a little but Nash (Rawiller, Frumos) dug deep.
“Both horses have got different racing patterns, they get into trouble. Even with Saigon, we expected her to be a little closer but she bombed the start and it was a bit of a sit and sprint.”
Saturday’s success was Frumos’ fourth career victory after the Kitten’s Joy mare went unbeaten through a three-start maiden campaign last winter.
Winning jockey Nash Rawiller is of the opinion there is more to come for the lightly-raced five-year-old.
“She deserved to win a race like that,” Rawiller said.
“Full credit to her, she is a mare who to my way of thinking hasn’t really hit her straps yet. She is still finding her place in Sydney but I am sure she has got one which is pretty high.
“She’s very explosive when she switches right off, we all know that. Thankfully she was able to do it at both ends.”
Frumos provided Rawiller with a race to race double with her victory following Rawiller’s success aboard Excelladus in the Benchmark 72 TAB Midway (1400m).
Both winners appeared beneficiaries of Rawiller’s strength at the business end of a race.
