Ima Mystery Girl will look to follow in the hoofsteps of Our Sixpence and graduate from winning the Red Ochre Mares Classic to becoming a Group 1 performer.
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The four-year-old was on the end of a perfect drive from her trainer Jarrod Alchin to claim Friday night’s feature event at Dubbo Paceway, adding her name to a long list of quality mares to claim the time-honoured event
In a thrilling race that befitted its Group 3 standing, the first seven runners over the line were separated by just six metres but it was former Temora horseman Alchin’s mare that claimed the lion’s share of the $30,000 in prizemoney on offer.
From gate eight, Ima Mystery Girl ($9.10) found the one out, two back position through the run, while up front early leader Lovin Miss Daisy ($7.40, Mark Callaghan) and My Rona Gold ($2.30 fav, Chris Geary) declared each other on and set a hectic tempo.
After running a slick lead time of 35.7s the pace didn’t slacken as the first quarter of the last mile was run in 28.9s and the pair built a sizeable lead over the chasing peloton.
Strangely the first quarter was the quickest, as the middle two splits were recorded in 29.9s and 30.0s respectively.
That set the race up for a thrilling finish and as the field rounded the home turn for the final time eight of the runners were in contention.
But Ima Mystery Girl had enough momentum to overhaul the leaders, beating the brave Lovin Miss Daisy by three metres, with My Rona Gold also holding on well to finish third.
On face value the result looked an easy one for the smart punters who snapped up the odds, but Alchin said the reality was far different.
“In the run it couldn’t have worked out any better, they were just going mad up front,” he said.
But actually my mare was off the bit a fair way out, I was tapping up too. I thought maybe it had taken the speed out of my mare a little bit.
“She was tapping her knee a bit coming around the turn as well but I knew they had to come back to me and she hit the line real good in the straight.”
While Alchin is now based out of Menangle, the win was a result for the bush in one of the rare Group races held outside the metropolitan area.
“The owners are from West Wyalong and I’m from Temora. They had her in at Menangle one day and I said ‘you should leave her with me, she’ll do a good job down here’ and she has,” he said.
“I’ve been coming here for a few years trying to win this race driving for other people, so it’s a big thrill to do it with one of my own. We stayed the week and to come away with the money was a bonus.
“She’ll go around in the four-year-old mares Breeders Challenge so hopefully she can get into the final of that and try to win a Group 1.”