After a couple of near misses, Adelaide sprinter Viddora has had her Group One day in the sun, winning the Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot in Perth.
Trained by Llloyd Kennewell, Viddora finished second in the Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville in May and was nudged out in a photo-finish to the Moir Stakes before a creditable fourth in the Manikato Stakes, both at Moonee Valley.
The $5 equal second favourite for Saturday’s Winterbottom (1200m), Viddora missed the start and settled further back than Kennwell and her jockey Joe Bowditch planned.
After making ground along the inside, Bowditch got her into clear running and she raced clear to beat Fuhryk ($12) by 1-1/2 lengths with Durendal ($26) another half length third.
“This is absolutely terrific. It’s bloody sensational,” Kennewell told Sky Thoroughbred Racing.
“It is the best feeling in the world. To get than off my back means a lot.
“Two hundred (metres) out I knew it was all over.
“It (Group One) is something you work for and I knew it would happen. It was just a matter of when.”
Kennewell said a trip to Queensland last summer had been the making of Viddora, even though she had to settle for second in a big race when runner-up in the $1 million Magic Millions Sprint at the Gold Coast.
The Lindsay Park-trained Fuhryk missed the start by even more than the winner and came home with a powerful finish under Damien Oliver.
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Congratulations team Viddora!
The $40,000 Adelaide Yearling Sale purchase from Riva Ridge Stud won today’s $1 million Group One Winterbottom Stakes for @KennewellRacing and @JoeBowditch. Such a big team behind the daughter of I Am Invincible – we salute you all! pic.twitter.com/3XUAtD4n7U— Magic Millions (@mmsnippets) December 2, 2017
