The opening race at Randwick on Saturday was a Midway contest over 1100m that featured a hot favourite in talented three year-old filly Bangkok Hottie, who was making her seasonal return, but she came up short with victory going to the good looking Melanite.
A stunning near black son of Dirty Work, the John Thompson trained Melanite is always an eye-catcher in the mounting yard and the four year-old made plenty of appeal with two recent placings carrying big weights in provincial Class 1 races.
With a good gate, Kerrin McEvoy to ride and just 56kg to carry, Melanite got all the favours with a soft run in transit and was too strong at the finish when sliding up the inside to win by half a length.
Bangkok Hottie fans will not have been disappointed as she covered plenty of ground and was not beaten far in a commendable return.
A $140,000 Magic Millions purchase from Fernrigg Farm for John Thompson Racing/Boomer Bloodstock, Melanite has the overall record of two wins and four placings from 10 starts with earnings in excess of $230,000 and his trainer believes more wins are in store.
“He was nice and fit and got the gun run, Kerrin rode him very well and he never went around a horse,” said John Thompson.
“He’s a lovely horse, a stunning looking horse and he will go through his grades. He has more wins in him, he just needs things to fall into place as he has got the ability.”
Melanite is the best of four winners from five foals to race from Caesarissa, a winning Holy Roman Emperor (IRE) mare from the family of Group I winning sires Home Affairs and Russian Revolution.
Melanite is a great advertisement for his sire Dirty Work, an equally good looking son of Written Tycoon that stands at Widden Victoria at a fee of $11,000.
