Juvenile More Territories has lived up to the faith of connections with a strong performance at Randwick.
The Listed Woodlands Stakes at Scone is a long-range target for John O’Shea -trained filly More Territories, who has made an impressive start to her career with a barnstorming victory on Randwick’s Kensington circuit.
While the opening two events were won by leaders racing near the fence, More Territories came from the back and swooped down the outside to capture Wednesday’s Robrick Lodge Handicap (1100m).
The filly was specked at double-figure odds and O’Shea said there was no surprise in the performance as the youngster had shown ability at home and in her trials.
“We have always thought very highly of her, she has just been a queen of a filly,” O’Shea said.
“We thought she’d be very hard to beat, we were just concerned about how far back she was going to be from the gate.
“She might end up at Scone, that’s a track that would suit her and five-and-a-half (furlongs, 1100m) there, we’ll try to get some black-type for the boys.”
O’Shea was referring to the Woodlands Stakes (1100m), one of the feature races at the stand-alone Scone program on May 18.
The two-year-old was bred by her part-owner Ron Finemore, who has enjoyed great success with the stable.
However, O’Shea said there were a few people who questioned Finemore’s mating selection when he opted to partner More Territories’ dam, stakes placegetter More Than Faith, with Territories, a Group 1-winning miler overseas who still has a relatively low profile in Australia.
“It’s one of Ronnie’s specially designed matings that he’s done, and everyone looked at him twice when he wanted to go to Territories,” O’Shea said.
“But he has bred a beautiful filly so well done to him.”
Ridden by Tyler Schiller, More Territories ($19) scored a comfortable three-quarters of a length win over Inglis Nursery placegetter Nymphadora ($10) with Pinito ($3.80 equal fav) another neck away third.
“She gave me a really good feel in the run,” Schiller said.
“I didn’t think the ‘Kenso’ would suit her getting back and running on today, but she has pulled it off,” Schiller said.
“She has got an unbelievable turn of foot.”
