A ground-saving ride from Linda Meech has carried Victorian mare Plucky Belle to an upset win in the Group One Coolmore Classic at Rosehill.
Meech posted the first Group One victory of her career at the expense of the odds-on favourite First Seal after Plucky Belle ($16) took runs between horses from the 200m to snatch the race in the last stride.
As First Seal ($1.60) took the lead wide out, Plucky Belle was briefly held up for a run until Meech found a way through.
But even when it appeared the Peter Moody-trained Plucky Belle got the winning stride in, Meech said she wasn’t so sure.
“It’s a bit surreal actually,” Meech said.
“I thought I had got beaten.
“But she was gallant because she went everywhere I wanted her to go and took every gap.
“When I really asked her to quicken she really pinned the ears back.”
Diamond Drille took the minor placing in front of the Thousand Guineas winner Amicus.
First Seal covered ground from her wide barrier and the explosive sprint which was on show during her Surround Stakes win was missing as she struggled to put a gap on her chasers.
