The inaugural running of the Midway Handicap has been taken out by the Greg Hickman-trained Our Bellagio Miss.
Greg Hickman feared the Midway Handicap was setting up so well for Our Bellagio Miss that something was sure to go awry but he need not have worried as the mare outclassed her rivals to score a comfortable win.
Rosehill hosted the first running of the $100,000 event, which is open to the smaller-scale city and provincial trainers and will become a regular fixture on Sydney’s Saturday programs.
Our Bellagio Miss was sent out a $4.20 Sportsbet favourite and Hickman admitted to a few nerves in the lead-up to the race.
“It was a bit nerve-wracking early when we thought everything was right. Her work was good on Tuesday, the track was good (suitable), but she won very, very well,” Hickman said.
“Hopefully this will give her a bit more confidence. I’ve always had an opinion of her and she has a bad tying-up problem so we’ve sorted that out along the way hopefully, and she’ll just be onwards and upwards.”
Our Bellagio Miss positioned midfield in the run and launched down the outside for Tommy Berry to score by a half-length over the fast-finishing Just Field with Wander also doing his best work late another half-neck away.
The victory brought up a double for Berry who took out the opening event on Tycoonist for Chris Waller.
The top jockey was surprised Our Bellagio Miss, who normally trails the speed, drifted so far back but feels they might have inadvertently found the best way to ride her.
“I was surprised she got as far back as she did but that might be the way to ride her because she wasn’t winning up on the speed before,” Berry said.
“It was good to see her attack the line today.”
