The Street Boss (USA) filly Heresy led home a 1-2-3-4 for Godolphin in the Group III China Horse Club P J Bell Stakes (1200m) as the curtain came down on day one of the Championships at Randwick.
With Nash Rawiller in the saddle, Heresy defeated the Brazen Beau filly Zapateo by a long neck with a further three-quarter of a length back to the Street Boss (USA) filly Arcaded in third ahead of the Shamardal filly Larkspur Run.
It was the second stakes success for Heresy who advances her record to two wins, a second and a third from 10 starts with earnings of $341,425.
“She had been going so well this preparation. She was 100-1 in the Light Fingers and 100-1 in the Surround and we felt like she could’ve finished closer, she didn’t have the best of luck,” winning trainer James Cummings said.
“That really vindicated the training that she had been putting in. We elected to take the small fish (a Group 3) because they do make sweet eating. It turned out she had four stablemates that were well suited in the race as well. But she trained beautifully between then and now and Nash (Rawiller) got to feel the benefits of that.
“They could all go their separate ways. There’s the filly that could go to the paddock who we weren’t sure would handle the track, the heavy conditions, and that was Hellfest (14th). One can go to Scone, one can go to Adelaide, one could go to Brisbane, one could run in two weeks in the JB Carr, so it gives us a lot of options.”
“It’s nice for the stable to get the first four and it’s my first trifecta. It was looking pretty likely at the 250m so it’s very difficult to cheer three horses at once.”
Heresy is the best of four winners from as many to race fourth winner from as many to race out of the accomplished New Approach (IRE) mare Montsegur.
The winner of the Group III VRC Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes, Montsegur is a three-quarter sister to Group III ATC Kindergarten Stakes winner Paulele (Dawn Approach) and a half-sister to Group III ATC Canonbury Stakes-winner Tessera (Medaglia d’Oro).
From the family of Merchant Navy, Legally Bay and Bonaria, Montsegur has an unraced 2yo Fastnet Rock filly named Pereille and a yearling colt by Fastnet Rock named Corniche.
After foaling a Blue Point (IRE) filly last spring, Montsegur revisited the son of Shamardal (USA).
