It was a champagne day of racing at Caulfield on Saturday, but arguably one of the runs of the day came from a Victorian-trained mare racing across the border at Morphettville.
Punters expected a dominant performance by the odds-on favourite Tralee Rose in the Group III Lord Reims Stakes (2600m) at Morphettville, and they weren't disappointed.
The 4yo daughter if Tavistock was simply devastating in a three and a half-length romp over Long Arm (IRE) (Rock Of Gibraltar) with a further two and three-quarter lengths back to Eperdument (Americain) in third
Tralee Rose has the presence of a good horse. She has a lovely, long, loping ground devouring stride.
The Symon Wilde-trained mare has had a meteoric rise. It took five starts for Tralee Rose to break her maiden at Warrnambool in October, but the daughter of Tavistock has been almost unstoppable since.
She has won five of her last six starts, coming to Morphettville off a facile seven lengths win in the $160,000 Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m) at Flemington on New Years Day.
"We thought she might be something a little bit special, especially after the Bagot. She's a lovely, developing staying horse," Wilde said.
"We had her in a maiden leading up to the (fourth in the Group III fillies Classic at Morphettville last May), and she got rolled in that race. But after the Classic is where we thought she might be a bit above average. She was still very raw but ran a terrific race.
"We always knew the older she gets, the better she would get.
"Seven weeks between runs, she's got the biggest tank you have ever seen.
"She is a wonderful work horse to watch. She has a beautiful action.
"Melissa Julius does all her track work and she had the biggest smile on her face after her last bit of work. She said that this is the best she has ever felt her.
"I don't know where we will get too. At this stage, I reckon we will be coming back for the Adelaide Cup.
"She will go home, and we will get her down to the beach and keep her in her own environment."
Tralee Rose advances her record to five wins and three seconds from ten starts with earnings of $322,100.
Purchased by Cameron Cooke Bloodstock for $50,000 out of the Cambridge Stud draft at the 2018 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale, Tralee Rose is the lone winner from two to race out of the stakes-placed Zabeel mare Star Of Tralee.
Third in the Listed NZ St Leger, Star Of Tralee is a half-sister to the VRC Oaks, AJC Australian Oaks, and STC Arrowfield Stud Stakes winner Serenade Rose (Stravinsky), the granddam of Godolphin's BRC Stradbroke Hcp and SAJC Goodwood Hcp winner Trekking (Street Cry) who has banked over $5 million.
Star Of Tralee has a 2yo colt by Tavistock and a colt foal by Russian Revolution. She was covered by Kermadec in November.
