Gary Vile asked a distance question of Anniesstar on her home track on Saturday and he was pleasantly surprised with the answer.

The Awapuni trainer was more hopeful than confident of the five-year-old’s chances in her middle distance debut, but she responded positively to claim the thick end of the stake in the Listed Ricoh Feilding Gold Cup.

“It was her first time over ground and we didn’t really know what to expect, but she is a very game mare,’ Vile said.

Anniesstar has held her form admirably since winning an open sprint at Awapuni in August and next time out she was held up before powering home for fourth in the Gr.3 Merial Ancare Metric Mile.

She again hit the line nicely to finish runner-up at her previous start at Otaki after failing to place on the final day of the Hawke’s Bay carnival under 58kg.

“We took her to Hastings, but she didn’t carry the weight very well on a firm track, she prefers the cut out of the ground,” Vile said.

Anniesstar was given a fine ride by Vanessa Johnston at Awapuni and after racing midfield on the fence they finished off strongly along the rail to down last year’s winner Little Alfie Brown, who was game after making the running.

“It was one of those races in which everything fell into place,” Johnston said. “The leader rolled off and she just burst through.”

Mungo Jerry showed he was on target for the Gr.3 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup with a strong finish for third.

He is now at $14 for the Riccarton feature while Saint Kitt, who won the Rating 85 staying event earlier the day, has been cut to an $8 equal second favourite behind the $6 fancy Blizzard.