Kiwi Group Three Winner for Stratum

Local runner Miss Wilson justified some inspired support when she dominated her rivals in the Group III Red Badge Spring Sprint (1400m) at Hastings.

Sent out a warm favourite off the back of a promising performance behind Gingernuts in the Gr. 1 Windsor Park Plate last month, the five-year-old Stratum mare gave jockey Samantha Collett an armchair ride throughout the contest.

Positioned nicely in the trail, Collett had a lapful of horse approaching the home corner as pacemaker Shadow Fox tried to slip away from his rivals. Collett had the mare off the fence and up alongside her rival in the twinkling of an eye and from there she quickly burst away to an unassailable lead.

Allowed to coast to the line Miss Wilson scored by over three lengths in a smart 1.22.62 for the 1400 metre journey.

Collett, who piloted speed merchant Prom Queen to a similarly effortless victory at Ashburton on Saturday, was typically understated about her role in the victory.

"Riding horses like her makes my job very easy," she commented.

"She jumped and put herself in the race although they didn't go as quick as I thought they might.

"I just had to bide my time and wait to get off the fence but she is a very classy mare and I knew what she was capable of.

"She is still progressing and has come in a lot stronger this time so she deserves a shot at something bigger after this."

Owner Richard Wood confirmed that he and trainer John Bary are thinking along similar lines in respect of the mare's future.

"I think John has her headed toward the Captain Cook in Wellington, track dependent although we may go to Tauranga first," he noted.

"She's a great looker from a great family so she will make a great broodmare, so that's the plan."

Wood admitted the team had been waiting for the better tracks to arrive to showcase the true ability of the mare.

"It's been a long wait for a firm track but we got one today," he said.

"We got the result off the back of a great ride. The hard track and the good draw was all she wanted."

Miss Wilson, who carries the same colours as Wood's multiple Group One winner and successful sire Jimmy Choux, has now won six of her twenty career starts. A half-sister to Jimmy Choux, it was her second victory at stakes level having taken out the Gr. 3 Cuddle Stakes at Trentham earlier in the year. - NZ Racing Desk