Gai Waterhouse and Adrain Bott have added yet another two-year-old winner to their seasonal tally at Warwick Farm, although it wasn’t with the horse that favourite backers had hoped.
Filly Southern Charm ($9.50) capitalised on her race experience and match practice to wear down stablemate and $2.50 favourite Johnny The Kid to take out Wednesday’s TAB Handicap (1100m) by a long head.
While the runner-up was on debut, the winner tackled the race second-up after finishing unplaced in a Hawkesbury maiden last month, an assignment jockey Regan Bayliss said had turned out stronger than it appeared on paper.
“It was a pretty good form race. (The winner) Drifting ran well down the straight (at Flemington)….on Saturday and the filly that ran fourth in the race, Diddle Dumpling, I rode her on Saturday also and she held herself in good stead,” Bayliss said.
“She stripped fitter for the run and the 1100 enabled her to travel and get in that better rhythm and it was a nice win.
“She’s not squibby, she’s got a bit of size and strength to her, and I think that win today will give her a lot of confidence going forward.”
Bott was happy with the effort from both his youngsters and felt Southern Charm’s race fitness was telling in a tight finish.
“That may have just been the difference late, having that run already this preparation,” Bott said.
“Obviously she was disappointing on that day but the form out of that has stood up in fairness.
“We went back to the drawing board and put a bit more work into her and she has done a great job today.”
Southern Charm gave Waterhouse and Bott their 20th two-year-old win of the season while the stable is also making a habit of producing the quinella in juvenile races.
Storm Boy beat Prost in Saturday’s Skyline Stakes at Randwick on Saturday, while a week earlier Straight Charge downed barn mate Espionage in the Silver Slipper.
Later in the day, Ciaron Maher produce Pasima to win the James Squire Handicap (1600m), the three-year-old breaking through for an overdue success after filling the minor placings at his first five starts.
While he has been a work in progress, Maher believes Pasima can continue to progress, nominating the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) on the first day of The Championships as a possible target.
“The team have done a great job with him,” Maher said.
“He has had quite a few starts but he showed a really good turn of foot there and he might be able to progress to something like a Carbine (Club Stakes).”
