They were expected to provide a one-two result in the Listed Belmont Classic over 2200m and Ladie’s Pro and Westbound did just that with the Grant and Alana Williams trained Ladie’s Pro landing her second successive feature race win when getting the better of the Michael Grantham trained Westbound by 0.28 lengths.
Ladie’s Pro, who saluted in the Belmont Oaks in her previous start, jumped as the $1.55 race favourite with Westbound relatively close up on the second line of betting at $2.60 … with a big gap in the betting after that with no other runner quoted at odds of less than $16.
Billed as a match race, 3yo D'Argento filly Ladies Pro got the better of Westbound in the run to the line to record consecutive stakes victories, winning the Listed Belmont Classic @PerthRacing for @williamsracing6 🍾🥂@BownessBoss @mmsnippets @shbloodstock @anz_news @breednet pic.twitter.com/DgQuQBu8rR
— Bowness Stud & Watershed Farm (@BownessStud) July 18, 2026
The race then panned out exactly as the betting indicated it would … with that 0.28 margin between the first and second favourite with the third placed Pony Up ($20) trailing in a full 8.73 lengths behind the winner.
With no speed on early, the $101 rank outsider Royal Guardian took the field out of the straight for the first time ahead of Pony Up with Westbound settling in third place and Ladie’s Pro in fourth, just a length behind Westbound.
Things started to warm up in the back straight when the $81 chance Savienne tried to inject some speed into the race with a dramatic first to last move between the 1300m to 1200m mark, but none of the other riders seemed too concerned about that and, by the time the field approached the home turn, Pony Up had already gone past Savienne … Westbound was coming to get Pony Up … and Ladie’s Pro was following Westbound every step of the way in a forward move of her own.
It didn’t take long before the two main fancies dropped Pony Up and, with the balance of the field struggling, Ladie’s Pro and Westbound joined issue with 250m left to run.
By the 200m Ladie’s Pro had gained a narrow advantage in that two-way battle, but Westbound continued the fight all the way to the line, forcing Ladie’s Pro to remain focussed and committed … which she was … as she stayed on strongly to the line to claim her fifth win from her ninth start.
“It was a nice little match-race, wasn’t it! Tactics galore. It was a good fun tactical race,” said Pike. “I obviously enjoyed it a lot more, coming out on top. It’s always more enjoyable that way.
“The nature of this horse … she allows you to adapt in the run, which is not that easy to do.
“We’ll stop, then we’ll start … then pace is injected into the race … every time you ask a question of her … it’s yep, I can do that … yep, I can do that.
“I think she got today’s distance because she is willing and relaxes so well, but I think that sprint (her turn of foot) can be utilized in other places.”
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