Smart three-year-old filly Mary Eliza absorbed a strong tempo and still proved too good for her rivals when successful in the GMH Fire & Safety Australia Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Prepared by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman, the daughter of Super Seth sat handy to the speed set by Conchiero and under the three-kilo claim from Luke Cartwright forged clear to score by half a length from I Only Wish.
“Speaking pre-race, we said if she begins well and you can slide into that spot and take a bit of luck out of the equation, it's going to make things a whole lot easier,” Coleman said.
“After the way it panned out at Mornington last start it was very pleasing to see her settle there just outside the leader.
“Even the fact that he had to think on his feet and do a little bit of work early there and then and had the sense to come back and sit at the leader's girth, I just thought it was a really good ride.”
Bred by Chittick Investments Ltd, Mary Eliza is out of triple Group One winner Bonneval and is raced by Waikato Stud’s Garry Chittick.
“She's a filly that we've always had a good opinion of and she's so well bred,” Coleman said.
“She's a lovely filly to have around and we've just had to be patient with her and give her a chance to mature and she still doesn't quite look there yet.
“She's still a little bit babyish and a little bit light and whatever she does in this preparation, she's going to improve upon. But it is really pleasing to get this win today for the team at Waikato Stud.
“We have toyed with the idea of taking her up to Queensland, depending on how she comes through this run, so we'll just see how she pulls up over the weekend and go from there.”
Mary Eliza’s dam Bonneval was a star on the track with her seven wins featuring Group One victories in the New Zealand and Australian Oaks and Underwood Stakes.
On the two-time New Zealand Horse of the Year’s retirement, the daughter of Makfi was secured privately by Garry Chittick and her broodmare career has now gained winning momentum with Mary Eliza a winner of two of her five starts to date.
Bonneval has a weanling full sister to Mary Eliza by Waikato Stud’s boom young sire Super Seth, and the star mare returned to the stallion again last spring. – NZ Racing Desk
