Griante very nearly didn't make the lineup for the G1 Galaxy H., initially landing on the emergencies list, but she drew in to the oversubscribed field following the scratching of Our Boy Malachi (Aus) (Top Echelon {Aus}) late Friday and recorded her first win in more than a year while carrying co-bottom weight.
Off the board in her first two outings as a 5-year-old in the spring, Griante finished a narrowly beaten second in Moonee Valley's G3 William Hill Series S. Sept. 19 before finishing fifth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths and a well-beaten eighth in that track's G1 Moir S. Oct. 2 and G1 Manikato S. Oct. 23. Wrapping up her season when seventh in Flemington's Listed Mss Security Sprint S. over 1200 metres Nov. 3, Griante resumed when 12th of 17, beaten four lengths, in the G1 Oakleigh Plate over the Galaxy's 1100 metre trip at Caulfield Feb. 27.
Breaking smoothly and traveling on the rail about five lengths off the lead and slightly better than midpack, Griante had a wall of horses in front of her at the top of the lane. She angled out for running room passing the 200 metre mark, ran down the late leader Dothraki and had enough left in the tank to hold off a fast-finishing Shiraz.
The result was a significant one for trainer David Brideoake, who also bred and co-owns the mare, and he told Racenet.com.au, “She is a wonderful mare and she was unlucky in the Oakleigh Plate, but that's just fabulous today, it was a terrific ride and the mare really tried hard. We bred her so she has been with us all along. It's a great day and it's so good to win a big race on a day like this.”
Griante is the second foal out of the unraced Grand Strategy, who has an as-yet unraced 2-year-old filly by Authorized (Ire) named Legal Mistress (Aus) and produced a Smart Missile (Aus) filly last year.
Saturday, Rosehill, Australia
GALAXY H.-G1, A$707,000, ATC, 3-19, 3yo/up, Open Handicap, 1100mT, 1:03.79, Good.
1–&GRIANTE, 51, m, 5, by Good Journey (USA)
1st Dam: Grand Strategy, by Strategic
2nd Dam: Grand Prospect, by Flying Spur
3rd Dam: Merry Life, by Bletchingly (AUS)
O-D R Brideoake, G Noll, B J Lindsay & J E A Lindsay; B-Mr D
Brideoake VIC; T-D R Brideoake; J-Craig Williams; A$427,000.
Lifetime Record: 27-7-6-2, A$1,069,175. Werk Nick Rating:
A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Shiraz, 54.0, g, 6, Zariz–Moville Slipper, by Moville Dancer.
O-Mrs C T Dwyer, P J Dwyer, P J Whealy, L E Barlow, B
Hockings, R C Nagel, J Veliscek, L Stewart, Mrs P F Hellams, Mrs
P G O'Brien, N M Titcume & M Davies; B-Est EW Fitzgerald
NSW; T-Tony McEvoy; J-Emma Stent; A$140,000.
3–Dothraki, 55.0, g, 5, Mossman–Volantis, by Flying Spur.
(A$45,000 Ylg 2012 MM National Yearling Sale) O-Triple Crown
Syndications (Mgr: C Ward), G Harvey, Ms V Johnson, Mrs D G
Moore, J H Hazlett, D K Poisel, B M Chisholm, K A Marsh, D
Warren, V Albanese, B J Thomas, B S Close, K T M; B-Mr G
Harvey NSW; T-P & P Snowden; J-B Shinn; A$70,000.
Margins: 0.8 len, 1.3 len, 1.5 len. Odds: 15.00, 13.00, 11.00.
Also Ran: Fell Swoop, Bounding, English, Boss Lane, Ball of Muscle, Terravista,
Rebel Dane, Famous Seamus (NZ) , Pittsburgh Flyer, Lumosty, Lord of the Sky.
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
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