The fourth of four Sandown winners on Wednesday for the Ciaron Maher and Jabez Johnstone partnership, exciting 3yo Shamus Award filly Here’s Matilda kept her unbeaten record intact, racing clear to win the Tile Importer Handicap (1400m) in emphatic fashion.
A winner over 1200m on debut, the filly stepped up to the 1400m where she started favourite in the field of 12.
Johnstone jumped Here’s Matilda away well from barrier 3, going forward to eventually settle in third behind the Tim Fitzsimmons trained Eton Affair who was chasing consecutive wins off a last start Moe victory.
Taking the field into the home straight, the field came down the middle of the track and once Johnstone came off the heels of Eton Affair, he sat quietly aboard his filly as she ambled to the leader with ease.
Asking for an effort at the 200m mark, the filly powered away in impressive style, eased down on the line to win by three lengths from Eton Affair with Godtfred Kirk a further length and a quarter away in third.
“It was a nice win,” said stable rep Jack Turnbull. “She woke up a lot from her debut run and win and just travelled everywhere.”
“He took his time, Jabez, and she let down well on the heavy ground.
“She's always been immature, and the family will and do get better for age. So a big thanks on that to Darren Thomas, Seymour Park. She's bred on their farm and I think they've got the mare in foal to Gold Trip.
“So she will only get better leading into autumn. If she does go out for a break now, she'll be one to definitely watch and further trip in time, she should just get better.
“She actually looks better saddled up. She just looks fuller. I had a look at her yesterday in the box with Mark, and we were just assessing her, and she's very healthy, but a lot of strengthening and furnishing to come.
“So, the fact that she's doing this on more or less raw talent is fantastic and, yeah, she's got an exciting future.”
Riding the filly for the first time under race conditions, Johnstone was impressed.
“There’s no better feeling than when you're on a very nice horse, like that,” said Johnstone.
“She was lengths above that field.
"It feels very good to come here with a very strong book of rides for Ciaron and win four of them and give that back to him.
"I am very thankful for the opportunities."
Bred by Darren Thomas’ Seymour Equine Services, Here’s Matilda is the first winner from two to the races out of the imported Farhh mare Bali Beach (GB), a half-sister to the Godolphin raced Cross Counter (Teofilo), a winner of the 2018 G1 VRC Melbounre Cup (3200m).
The current 2yo out of the mare is the Ghaiyyath (IRE) filly Levate, who also in the stable of Maher, while the mare was covered in the spring by G1 VRC Turnbull Stakes and G1 VRC Melbounre Cup winner Gold Trip, who was also trained by Maher.
Set to stand the upcoming season at a fee of $33,000 (inc. GST) at Rosemont Stud, G1 WS Cox Plate winner Shamus Award (Snitzel) is the sire of 33 stakes winners highlighted by six individual G1 winners.
