Alsephina ($3.60) has become the second Western Australian winner of the Group 2 Stocks Stakes in as many years, following Amelia’s Jewel’s barnstorming finish to claim the race in 2023.
Hailing from the Grant & Alana Williams stable, the six-year-old mare produced a strong performance at Flemington first-up, which had many tipping her in the final event on the Moonee Valley card.
After jumping well from the barriers, Blake Shinn allowed the daughter of Star Turn to settle midfield behind the speed, while Grinzinger Belle ($3.50) and Jennilala ($4.80) set a good speed ahead of her.
Alsephina was one of the only runners that wasn’t off the bit as the field rounded the home turn, and all she needed was a gap to appear in the final 200m.
When the gap did appear, Shinn pushed the mare’s nose into the space, and she burst through to storm clear late and record an impressive victory, with Lady Jones ($16) and Grinzinger Belle filling the placings.
2024 Stocks Stakes replay – Alsephina
Grant Williams represented the winning stable post-race.
“Great bunch of owners, you can see how much they enjoy it,” Williams said.
“Yeah, there’s no pressure over here; it’s easy, isn’t it?
“We’ve got one on the board early.
“Hopefully we can stay here for another month or so, headed towards the Empire Rose and we’ll see what happens.
“She had been 600 odd days out since winning but also been runner-up in the Railway.
“We thought she’d go really good on a wet track and I thought a run at Flemington was really good as well.
“Obviously she’s been on all sorts of tracks.
“We’ve been from Perth, we’ve raced on pretty firm tracks in the summer but if you run second in a railway you’ll hold yourself a pretty good set over here.”
Blake Shinn was complimentary of the stable and the winner in his post-race interview.
“Oh, 100% she put the riding on the on the wall with her first up run in the Lets Elope when she was wide, and look, Grant and Alana, they know a good horse to bring over and she’s trained on lovely,” Shinn said.
“We had a bit more economical run today, albeit we were held up for a long way, but she likes to be ridden like that.
“When Willie Pike rode her in the West, she ran really effectively, ridden like that how she was covered up today, and when we got out, she exploded.
“So, bigger things in store coming.
“I don’t know how she likes this Melbourne weather, but I think she’s starting to adapt to it; she looks really well, she’s come a lot in her coat, and how her appearance is so.
“Grant was rapt in how she’s come on from her first-up run, and yeah, it’s just great to ride a winner for Grant and Alana.”
Alsephina is rated as an $8 chance with horse racing bookmakers in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes futures markets.
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