The lone filly in the field, El Patroness chose the right spot to break her maiden in Saturday's Listed Kirkland Gold Super Impose Stakes (1800m) at Flemington.
Placed at her first two starts in 3yo fillies grade at Sandown, the daughter of Shamus Award hit the front 350 metres out under Brett Prebble. She was all out in holding the challenge of the Tavistock gelding Tiz Magic by a half-neck with a nose back to the favoured Tavistock colt Gunstock in third.
Winning trainer Danny O'Brien said the filly would continue to improve when stretched out in distance and is on track for the Victoria Oaks.
"I was really pleased because she's an out-and-out mile and a quarter filly. She's run in two very slowly run events so far, and when he (Prebble) made it happen from the front, at least he made it a decent enough test," O'Brien said.
"He used her up on the bit early, was left in front a long way from home, which is always a bit troubling here at Flemington. She's done a great job for a filly having her third start to do it at both ends and hang on against the boys is a great effort.
"The first two races were really just education and warming up. Today, for a lot of horses, it is moving day, and you want to be doing something today.
"We opted to run against the colts at 1800 metres rather than a mile and really pleased that she's on track. Hopefully, she is back here in a month's time."
Prebble said the daughter of Shamus Award has her quirks.
"She's quite a cantankerous, big filly. I just had to keep her moving the whole time to keep her happy," Prebble said.
"I tried to go around with the pony, and she nearly went over the rail a couple of times. I aborted that mission, so she just went around on her own and kept her happy. When she jumped as cleanly as she did today I was keen to up.
"She’s is probably a big track horse, get into a rhythm. She was out on her legs late, but it is probably the first time she really had a hit out. Last start she was in behind and never really got tested.
“I wouldn’t like to try and stand over her and make her do something she doesn’t want to. She’s too big and she’s too strong. When she’s in a good frame of mind we’ll get a good run out of her but I don’t think she’ll beat Danny’s other horse (Kapalua Sunset).”
A homebred for Balmerino Racing Partnership Trust and O'Brien Thoroughbreds, El Patroness is the first foal of the talented O’Reilly mare Sure You Can.
Purchased by Danny O Brien for $100,000 at the 2012 NZB Premier Yearling Sale, Sure You Can is a sister to Group III Tasmanian Derby winner Betwixt, dam of Group 1 Queensland Oaks winner Provocative (Zabeel).
Sure You Can is also a half-sister to Group II ARC Avondale Guineas and Group II Auckland Guineas winner Surely Sacred, who placed in the 2019 ATC Australian Derby won by Angle Of Truth.
Sure You Can has a 2yo filly by Star Witness, a yearling filly by Shamus Saward and was covered by Puissance De Lune (IRE) last spring.
