A star of the carnivals in Tasmania and South Australia, Wings Of Song made a triumphant return from a 30-week break to capture Saturday’s Rosemont Stud Pendant (1400m) at Cranbourne.
Ridden by Jake Noonan for Patrick and Michelle Payne, the 4-year-old daughter of Mendelssohn (USA) was last out of the barriers from her inside draw before pushing up to be three pairs back on the fence.
Sticking to the rails of the turn, Wings Of Song pushed out to join a six-horse war down the straight. She defeated the fast-finishing Brazen Lady (Brazen Beau) by a head, with Tiz Invincible (I Am Invincible) a short-head back in third.
The winner of the Listed TRC Strutt Stakes, Tasmanian Guineas, Tasmanian Oaks, and Group III SAJC Auraria Stakes, Wings Of Song advances her record to eight wins, two seconds, and a third from 14 starts with earnings of $545,680.
Noonan said he needed to be patient, but everything fell into place.
“I took me time. I was either going to be a genius or a mug, but I drew one on a mare resuming that gets out over further,” Noonan said.
“My plan, probably with Paddy's, was just to ride the horse, to have the nice run, first up for the preparation that she's got a head. She's pretty classy, and she proved with the economic run that she had her class prevailed.
“It’s always interesting to see how these three-year-olds come up as mares. Without knowing the insights of Patrick, I just feel the fact that she's bypassed the spring just allowed her probably a little longer in the paddock. She physically furnished a lot more. Mentally, she didn't have much to do. She's very push-button to ride. She's got a great attitude and great ability, but you can just see now that she is a mare and looks a mare. Maybe that extra two or three months conditioned her like that. Ability wasn't the issue; she's probably really furnished now.”
Carrying the famous red-with-white cap of the Tait and Nivison families, Wings Of Song is a half-sister to Group II MVRC Moonee Valley Vase winner, near $1 million earner Cherry Tortoni (Night Of Thunder), and stakes-placed Jenny Jerome (Churchill).
They are among the five winners from as many to race for the Strategic mare Tortoni, a half-sister to the 13-time Group 1 winner Tie The Knot (Nassipour), who banked $6.2 million when trained by the late Guy Walter.
Also, a half-sister to the stakes winners Hood (Shamardal) and Dream Ballad (Singspiel), Tortoni is the final foal of the Group 1 VATC One Thousand Guineas heroine Whisked (Whiskey Road).
Tortoni has a yearling St Mark's Basilica (FR) filly and foaled a Churchill (IRE) colt on October 5.
