Better races in the upcoming Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival are likely to be added to the scheduled of Bjorn Bakerâs class mare Imposing Lass after she saluted for the punters at Gosford on Friday in the Belle Of The Turf Stakes 2017.
Imposing Lass (pictured at Rosehill) saluted for the 2017 Belle Of The Turf Stakes punters at Gosford on Cup Day. Photo: Steve Hart.
The four-year-old daughter of Makfi is putting together a nice record posting her fifth win from 10 career starts in the $150,000 Group 3 Belle Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) over a mile.
It was her first Group assignment since a sixth to Provocative in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) as a three-year-old last winter and showed she was progressing nicely towards the autumn.
She went into the Belle Of The Turf Stakes third-up after battling on well in her lead-up on January 7 at Warwick Farm on a Soft (7) track.
Despite the quick back-up, Imposing Lass had plenty to give and relished the firmer going and extra metres of her Gosford Cup Day assignment.
Ridden by jockey Jason Collett from out wide, she took a nice sit throughout the feature letting the Jason Coyle-trained All In The Reflexes do the work up front in the lead.
Bakers other runner Sewreel was also up on the pace in the Belle Of The Turf Stakes, the Group 2 performed Kiwi import having her first run down under.
Collett let Imposing Lass, who up from 50.5kg last start to 58kg on Friday, trail third stalking the leader and she travelled well heading towards the home turn.
Around the bend All The Reflexes was quickly challenged and Collett called upon the favourite.
At the 125m Imposing Lass ($2.70) hit the front and pulled clear of her rivals to enjoy a tidy win over the fast-finishing Clarry Conners-trained Queen Of Wands ($21).
In third finishing off the Belle Of The Turf Stakes trifecta was Sewreel in a nice result for Baker heading into Saturdayâs Magic Millions Race Day at the Gold Coast where he saddles-up the odds-on favourite Winning Rupert in the Magic Millions Guineas.
Godlphinâs runner Asinara meanwhile never featured in the Belle Of The Turf Stakes having gotten into an awkward position third last.
Baker is sure to have his eye on more Group wins over the coming months for Imposing Lass who could head towards an elite level target in something like the $1 million Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick in April during âThe Championshipsâ at Royal Randwick.
An earlier target at the same track and distance could be the $150,000 Group 3 Aspiration Quality (1600m) on March 4.
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2017 Belle Of The Turf Stakes Results & Finishing Order
Gosford Race 4 â 13/01/2017
| Place | # | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Br. | Wgt. | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | IMPOSING LASS (NZ) | Bjorn Baker | Jason Collett | – | 11 | 58kg | $2.80F |
| 2 | 9 | QUEEN OF WANDS | Clarry Conners | Christian Reith | 1L | 6 | 54kg | $21 |
| 3 | 4 | SEWREEL (NZ) | Bjorn Baker | James Doyle | 2.3L | 4 | 58kg | $15 |
| 4 | 13 | BETTABET RED | Fred Cowell | James Innes Jnr (a) | 2.7L | 1 | 54kg | $31 |
| 5 | 5 | SOFIN | Shannon Fry | Ben Looker | 3.1L | 3 | 58kg | $10 |
| 6 | 6 | HETTY HEIGHTS | Kim Waugh | Tim Clark | 3.8L | 8 | 57kg | $8 |
| 7 | 12 | QUEEN MISTY | Les Bridge | Grant Buckley | 3.9L | 12 | 54kg | $21 |
| 8 | 10 | ALL IN THE REFLEXS | Jason Coyle | Jay Ford | 4.4L | 5 | 54kg | $13 |
| 9 | 11 | ANISHA | Mark Newnham | Robert Thompson | 5.1L | 2 | 54kg | $17 |
| 10 | 1 | ALL CERISE | Chris Waller | Adam Hyeronimus | 5.2L | 7 | 59kg | $19 |
| 11 | 8 | ASINARA | John O’Shea | Craig Williams | 5.7L | 10 | 54kg | $6.50 |
| 12 | 2 | KHUTULUN | Luke Oliver | Damien Oliver | 6L | 9 | 58.5kg | $9 |
| – | 7 | HARLEM LADY (NZ) | Chris Waller | Glyn Schofield | – | 0 | – | – |