Fans were at fever pitch as the favoured runners Nature Strip, Viridine and She's So High were staging a titanic dual down the Morphettville straight in Saturday's Group II UBET Euclase Stakes but on the line there was stunned silence at the $150 shot I'll Have a Bit came sailing down the outside to blouse them all.
Perhaps the biggest cheer came from Olly Tait down at the beautiful Twin Hills Stud at Cootamundra where I'll Have a Bit's sire Smart Missile will relocate in 2018 after six seasons at Arrowfield Stud.
Settled back in last place by Chris Parnham, I'll Have A bit made her run down the centre of the track, coming with a barnstorming finish to defeat She's So High (I Am Invincible) by a neck with Viridine (Poet's Voice) a nose back in third.
It advances the record of the John McArdle-trained mare to 2 wins, 2 seconds and a third from 13 starts with earnings of $531,435.
It was a timely win for Parnham who will be moving his tack from Perth to Melbourne in the near future.
"It's good to get the opportunity today, I didn't really expect to win," Parnham said.
"When she let down she gave me a great feeling and it was an awesome win."
Winner of the National Stakes on the same track almost 12 months ago, I'll Have Bit has been disappointing in three starts since finishing runner-up in the Group II Fillies Classic at Moonee Valley back in October last year.
The daughter of Smart Missile was a $48,000 purchase by Redgum Racing out of the Basinghall Farm draft at the 2016 Inglis Vobis Gold Yearling scale.
Redgum went to the 2017 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling sale to purchase Armidale Stud's half-brother to I'll Have A Bit by Foxwedge for $40,000.
I'll Have A Bit (pictured as a yearling ) is the third foal and third winner out of the Jeune (GB) mare Take All Of Me who was a three-time winner in Melbourne.
Take All Of Me is a daughter of the hugely popular Tickle My (Perugino) whose 11 wins, included five stakes, highlighted by the Group II Sunline Stakes at Moonee Valley.
Take All Of Me has a yearling filly by Toronado (IRE) that was purchased by Boneo Horse Ranch for $85,000 out of the Armidale draft at this year's Tasmanian Yearling Sale.
After missing to Toronado (IRE) in 2016, Take All Of Me was covered by Smart Missile again last spring.
Smart Missile stands at a fee of $13,200 this spring.
