A brilliant ride from Danny Nikolic guaranteed Mosheen became just the fourth filly to win the $750,000 Australian Guineas at Flemington this afternoon as Darley's Dubai preparations were dealt another hefty blow.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Nikolic expertly guided his Crown Oaks winner to the rail from the widest gate and from there bided his time for a split in the straight where Mosheen exploded clear to confirm her standing as one of Australia's best three-year-olds.
Favourite Helmet meanwhile had to be content with a distant 12th after raring in the barriers and missing the start.
The race was his last in Australia before heading overseas to contest the $1m UAE Derby (1800m), and came seven days after Sepoy ran fifth in the Oakleigh Plate, his only warm-up for the Golden Shaheen (1200m).
Sepoy beat Mosheen in last year's Golden Slipper the three-year-old balance of power in this country may be shifting to the Robert Smerdon-trained superstar who joined Shamrocker (2010), Miss Finland (2007) and Triscay (1991) as female winners of the Australian Guineas.
And she could be on track for a clash with fellow three-year-old star Manawanui in next month's Doncaster Handicap (1600m), after the Ron Leemon trained gelding claimed a tough Hobartville Stakes (1400m) this afternoon.
No horse has ever won the Australian Guineas from the outside gate, and Smerdon said Nikolic's ride had been first-class.
“We all stand here and rap the rides when they ride winners but even [race caller] Greg Miles said how did he get in there,” Smerdon said.
“We were knocked over at the barriers. We thought we had her flying, we spat our dummies when the barrier came out.
“She's obviously very very talented and she's never run poorly and she's always run at the highest level.
“To my mind she's a star and she's proved it there today.
“The plan's always been to go to Sydney for the Coolmore and then there's the Doncaster after that.”
Nikolic took every opportunity yesterday once on the rail, and when the split opened up heading into the final 200m he didn't waste the opportunity.
Strike The Stars ran home late into second but couldn't threaten the winner, while outsider Mister Milton grabbed third.
The talented jockey, who has been struggling to pick up top-line rides of late, hoped he might have found a horse which could lead him back to the top of the nation's riding ranks.
“All the trainers and owners have been giving me a wide berth of late, I hope that shows you that I've still got it if I've got the horse underneath,” Nikolic said.
“From that marble I was always going to have to pull out a pretty good ride. I was able to shoot her across, I kept getting the runs that I needed and I just got into a bit better position juts approaching the half mile.
“It was just a matter of getting a split at the top of the straight and she put them away, it was a good win.”
