With elite level goals in mind, the Pukekohe trainer will now ease up on the
daughter of Iffraaj following her impressive victory in the Group III Barneswood
Farm Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year's Day."She can have a little bit of a break and she's not Karaka Million eligible so we'll get her back for the Sistema here and then have a crack at the Sires," Tiley said.
The Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) will be run on March 10 with the Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni three weeks later.
A debut winner of the Listed Ashford Lodge Stakes (1100m), Melt sat off the early speed and she unwound powerfully in the closing 150m.
"She jumped beautifully and came back nicely," Tiley said. "I thought with 200m to go that she was going to run a battling third, but she did what good horses do and pulled out more."
Melt is raced by her co-breeder Andrew Fowler and is out of the multiple stakes winner Ticklish.
She was again ridden at Ellerslie by Michael McNab, who also partnered the filly in an earlier trial success.
"She's only had two starts, both in stakes race, and she's put away really good horses in both," he said.
"She's a beautiful little horse and I was able to slot in after the start and we got a beautiful trip.
"She was a bit flat in the straight, but when she wound up she really picked them up."
Melt won by three-quarters of a length from Bit Lippy, who came from last, with pacemaker She's A Thief third and Al Hasa, who raced outside the leader, weakening to fourth. – NZ Racing Desk.
