The margin was only a nose, but 4-1 favorite Perfect Reflection (Aus) (More Than Ready) made good use of her light impost in the heavy going to maintain her unbeaten record, defeating elder stablemate and Australian champion Delicacy (Aus) (Al Maher {Aus}) in the G1 Kingston Town Classic. She was the first 3-year-old filly to win since the race began in 1976. Delicacy, a four-time Australian Classic winner, drew widest in barrier 16 and missed by the narrowest of margins after toting 124 pounds–14 more than the Group 1 debutante. Both fillies are homebreds for Bob and Sandra Peters.
“It's a great result, she's the up-and-comer and Delicacy took us on such a good ride last year,” trainer Grant Williams told Sky Thoroughbred Central. “This is a beautiful filly. She had a couple of little hiccups on the way, but she's done a super job.”
Away well from gate 12 and parked in a handy perch through the early going, the bay made her bid for the lead well off the fence with a furlong remaining. In charge from there, Perfect Reflection appeared to have the race at her mercy until tackled by Delicacy to her outside. With the latter gaining with every stride, the wire came in the nick of time for the daughter of popular dual-hemisphere sire More Than Ready. Dark Musket (Aus) (Musket {Aus}) was 4 1/2 lengths back in third.
Added reinsman William Pike, “I didn't mean to [go too early], I was bolting and the horse I was following wasn't going that well. I presented her and she was going that well and with the light weight I just rolled with the flow. She waited a bit out front, I wish Delicacy had come to me a bit sooner as I had plenty to offer.”
Debuting successfully just over three-months previously at Pinjarra Sept. 2, Perfect Reflection added a Belmont Park feature Oct. 7 prior to her Oct. 21 victory in Ascot's Listed Crown Perth-Belgravia S. over 1200 meters. Extended to a mile Nov. 14, the bay added the G3 W. A. Champion Fillies S. there by a length and was equal-light weight with fifth-place Blackwood (Aus) (Blackfriars {Aus}) for Saturday's feature.
Perfect Reflection is the 10th foal and fourth stakes winner out of G2 Western Australia Oaks winner Reflected Image (Bluebird), who foaled a pair of Hard Spun colts in 2013 and 2014. She produced a filly by 2010 G1 Melbourne Cup hero Americain in 2015. This is the extended family of MG1SP Facile Tigre (Aus) (Catbird {Aus}).
Saturday, Ascot (Perth), Australia
TABTOUCH-KINGSTON TOWN CLASSIC-G1, A$1,000,000 (US$734,150), Ascot, 12-5, 3yo/up, 1800mT, 1:53.78, hy.
1–&PERFECT REFLECTION (AUS), 110, f, 3, by More Than Ready
1st Dam: Reflected Image (Aus) (GSW-Aus), by Bluebird
2nd Dam: Superb Prospect (Aus), by Superbity
3rd Dam: Prospector's Charm, by Mr. Prospector
O/B-Peters Investments Pty Ltd; T-Grant Williams; J-William
Pike; A$612,500. Lifetime Record: 5-5-0-0, A$$870,950. *Full to
New Image (Aus), MSW-Aus, $221,955; and Ideal Image (Aus),
SW-Aus, $177,061; 1/2 to Elusive Image (Aus) (Elusive Quality),
SW-Aus, $172,668. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Delicacy (Aus), 125, f, 4, Al Maher (Aus)–Simply Wicked (Aus),
by Scenic (Ire). O/B-Peters Investments Pty Ltd; T-Grant
Williams; A$200,000.
3–Dark Musket (Aus), 129, g, 4, Musket (Aus)–Oriental Lass
(NZ), by Faltaat. (A$4,000 Ylg '12 PERWIN). O-Mr G C & Mrs D S
Ballantyne; B-Geisel Park Pty Ltd; T-Graeme Ballantyne;
A$90,000.
Margins: NO, 4HF, 3/4. Odds: 7-2, 4-1, 150-1.
Also Ran: Neverland (Aus), Blackwood (Aus), Man Booker (Aus), Extra Zero (Aus), Real Love (Aus), Black Heart Bart (Aus), Tower of Lonhro (Aus), Woodsville (Aus), Balmont Girl (Aus), Magic Artist (Ire), London Line (Aus), Hazzabeel (NZ), Bass Strait (NZ).
Click for the Racing Post result, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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