Outstanding mare Montefilia scored her first win for new trainer Chris Waller when taking out the $2million Gr.2 ATC Hill Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday 7th October.
The six-year-old daughter of Kermadec had won four Gr.1 races before today and had a big class edge over her rivals which was plain to see over the final furlong.
When let down by Nash Rawiller, she rounded them up quickly, surging to the front to beat last year’s Epsom Derby runner-up Hoo Ya Mal (GB) by half a length.
Trained previously by David Payne, Montefilia has the overall record of seven wins and 13 placings from 31 starts with earnings topping $4.4million.
“It’s obviously a credit really to David Payne leaving plenty of horse left in her. Everyone is so conscious of longevity nowadays and making sure you’re retiring sound horses and not breaking their hearts. There was obviously some still left in the locker but she’s achieved great things,” said stable representative Charlie Duckworth.
Nash Rawiller was impressed with the mare, who may add further Gr.1 wins to her CV.
“If there was another 100m she wins by three and a half or four (lengths). She was motoring that last 100m,” he said.
“I’d imagine Yulong would get a great thrill out of that. Highly talented mare who has always promised to be one of our best and today she showed a glimpse of that. They’d be rapt and I’m sure she’ll be a good mum one day.”
A half-sister to Gr.3-placed Nice for What, Montefilia was bred by the late Geoff Russell and is the best of five winners from five to race from Bana Wu (GB), a Stakes-placed Shirocco mare from the family of Gr.2 winner Strategic Prince and Stakes-winning stayer Yorkshire.
This article was written by Tara Madgewick for Breednet.
