The boil-overs continued at Royal Randwick on Saturday with Matthew Smith’s mare Nimalee taking out the $1 million Queen of the Turf Stakes over the mile.
The daughter of So You Assume went round at $31.00 with Ladbrokes within the fillies and mares characteristic, solely to showcase a devastating flip of foot within the concluding phases to race previous the chief Annavisto.
A affected person journey from Damien Oliver, who received the Queen of the Turf in 2016 aboard Azkadellia, did the trick because the pair settled two again from the velocity earlier than pouncing with just below 300m to race.
“We hadn’t been making up plenty of floor so I wished to be a bit extra productive from the beginning. We had a very good draw so simply maintain place,” Oliver informed Sky Racing.
“This mare, she’s all the time very constant across the place however discovered it onerous to win however she liked the situations as we speak, traveled good within the box-seat, and gave me a very good kick.”
The worth on provide was largely on account of Nimalee’s document on rain-affected going, however she did look set to peak in her third run again after operating second within the Newcastle Newmarket on a heavy 8 and fifth within the Emancipation Stakes over additional with a trial in between runs.
Coach Matthew Smith claimed his fifth Group 1 because of Nimalee’s win in Saturday’s $1 million Queen of the Turf Stakes. Picture: Steve Hart.
Nimalee additionally ran fourth to Saturday’s rival Colette over the mile in final yr’s Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington, a run that indicated to Smith her potential on the high degree.
Not for lack of attempting thoughts you, we’ve had a number of swings however I mentioned to Damien the day earlier than the race that it’s about time we received in Sydney,” Smith went on to say.
“She raced rather well in Melbourne final prep and was fourth in a Group 1 not crushed far. We knew she was proper up with these mares, it was only a matter of getting situations proper.”
Annavisto held on second, whereas Icebath once more managed to run a spot for the fourth time at Group 1 degree after ending off for third in final week’s Doncaster Mile.
There was no such luck for Godolphin, nevertheless. The blue colors capped off a disappointing day with race-favourite Colette operating a distant final after pulling tip on the high of the straight.
The whole 2022 Queen of the Turf Stakes ending order may be considered right here.
