Annabel Neasham almost didn’t run Mumbai Jewel at Randwick due to her outside gate, but she was glad she changed her mind when the filly produced a whirlwind finish to claim the opening race on Apollo Stakes day.
After the youngster endured a tough run from a wide draw in the Widden Stakes last month, Neasham was seeking a kinder gate for her next start and kept her options open by accepting for Saturday’s Pierro Plate (1100m) and a race at Wyong on Tuesday.
Mumbai Jewel ($7) drew outside barriers in both, prompting Neasham to cut her losses and head to Randwick with a plan to ride her quietly and hope she could finish off.
The filly actually won the jump but was jagged back to last by Sam Clipperton, who switched her to the outside in the straight and she finished best to defeat Sandpaper ($7.50) by a long head with Rise Of The Masses ($7) holding on for third another half-neck away.
“I actually accepted for Wyong on Tuesday where she drew wide again so we just decided to come here and ride her quiet and hope they overdid up in front,” Neasham said.
“If she had drawn a gate, she jumps very well, we don’t have to snag her back, but I can’t wait until she can draw a gate and we can really put her in a race and hopefully get some black type going forward.”
Neasham believes the fillies have the wood on the colts and geldings this season and in that vein, she will give Mumbai Jewel a chance to earn herself a spot in the 2022 Golden Slipper.
She is likely to have her next start in the Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on March 5, with Neasham keen to keep her on a separate path to stablemate Lady Laguna who is slated to go to the Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) a week earlier.
“I’m really happy to have a filly who is a live chance going into some of the bigger two-year-old races,” Neasham said.
“She is a different type of horse to Lady Laguna, but I feel she is every bit as good. She certainly deserves to be aimed at the Golden Slipper.”
After opening odds-on earlier in the week, debutant Metallicity drifted to start a $3.30 favourite and was far from disgraced in finishing fourth, less than a half-length from the winner.
