Three-year-old filly How Womantic has made it two wins from as many starts with a comfortable victory in her city debut at Caulfield.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained How Womantic was coming off a maiden win at Geelong on December 13 and stepped up to benchmark-70 grade against her own age in Saturday’s Cathie Ireland Handicap (1100m).
After sitting third in the run How Womantic warmed to her task in the straight under jockey Jye McNeil and surged past leader Lucifer’s Reward passing the 100m.
How Womantic ($6.50) drew away to score by 2-1/4 lengths over Ocular ($4.20), who hit the line nicely from further back in the field, while Lucifer’s Reward ($18) held on for third another long neck away.
McNeil was riding How Womantic for the first time and was impressed by the way she put the race away late.
“She was going well enough in the run but I wasn’t expecting her to put them away like she did,” McNeil said.
“She didn’t give me the feel that she was going to explode to the line but she grew with confidence and the further the race went on the more dominant she was.”
McNeil made it a double from the first two races when he steered the Colin Little-trained Our Campana to victory in the Robert Newman Handicap (1100m).
