The upsets kept coming at Royal Randwick on Saturday as Wendy Roche’s pizza eating mare Nettoyer took out the Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m) as a $26.00 shot.
Much like her win last year in the Doncaster, the daughter of Sebring wound up from well back in the field to pinch a win from Probabeel to claim her second Group 1 right on the line.
The autumn had been rather unsuccessful up until Saturday’s race with the seven-year-old finishing well-back first-up at Randwick in the Aspiration Stakes, before failing to fire in her Doncaster title defence last week when four lengths ninth behind Cascadian.
Having found the money on four occasions on the short backup though, Nettoyer clearly appreciated resuming over the mile, this time back on top of the ground.
“I thought she’d win this week, she’s has a strict diet obviously. She always backs up super, she’s just a different horse, she’s more relaxed and hard to gauge now. She’s not as naughty, but still quite quirky,” Roche told Channel 7 after the race.
Nettoyer over-raced a little last week in the Doncaster, and despite finishing ninth, still made up a lot of ground from the rear to suggest she could run well again this week.
Tommy Berry, who claimed the Queen of the Turf for a second time with the win, was also key sitting patient towards the back before shuffling to the widest part of the track.
Probabeel backers, meanwhile, missed out on the spoils after the Savabeel mare was gunned down late despite kicking clear to lead by a length approaching the final furlong.
Quantum Mechanic got up to run third after following the heels of Probabeel rounding the turn.
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