Stakes reward for smart mare

Genuine mare Fascinate produced a career-best performance at Riccarton to break through at black type level.

The Falkirk mare had finished runner-up to stablemate Coulee in Gr.3 South Island Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) in March and she had no trouble going one better with an emphatic win in Saturday’s Listed Daphne Bannan Memorial Great Easter Stakes (1400m).

Trained by Brian and Shane Anderton, Fascinate had won two of her previous three starts and despite the booking of Chris Johnson she still flew well under the radar and returned 34-1.

“It’s pretty exciting, she won well at Riverton the other day and she had trained on really well,” Shane Anderton said.

“She’s always been a pretty smart animal so it was great for her to finally get a good one.”

Now the winner of 10 of her 39 starts, Fascinate was given an economical passage behind the pace on the fence and she finished off in style to win by three and a-half lengths.

“It was a great ride from Chris and she got the job done,” Anderton said.

Kolonel Kev got home well from back for second with the winner’s stablemate Raise You Ten also making up good ground from the tail of the field for third.

“It was a great run and he’ll be a better horse next season,” Anderton said.

Wanganui visitor La Fille En Jeu was chasing a hat-trick of stakes wins on the course, but came up short this time and finished fourth after making the pace.

Nevertheless, her southern campaign has been a lucrative one after claiming top honours in both the Breeders’ Stakes and the Listed Easter Cup (1600m).