In a pattern which has resembled her recent victories, Daisies overcame early hardship to salute on the line in the Ladbrokes Stocks Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
It took an enormous effort with Damien Lane aboard to get her home first past the post.
That was because even the four-year-old mare’s owner Sheamus Mills had all but given up early in the Group 2 mile feature worth $300,000.
“When she missed the kick, I thought to myself ‘I’m going to the bar here. This is a complete waste of time. Obviously, they (other winning horses) have been leading all night’,” Mills told racing.com.
“But what an unbelievable ride. When you have no luck and you have to ride for luck, I still can’t believe she won, to be honest.”
Daisies has had a recent history of bouncing back from adversity.
“We programmed this. Last (preparation) she was a very unlucky fourth, and she came here and won the Group 3 (Alexandra Stakes on March 25),” said Mills, before adding Daisies would be targeted for the Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington on October 29.
“And this preparation, an unlucky fifth (in the Let’s Elope Stakes on September 10) and came here and won a Group 2.
“It’s worked out beautifully.”
Lane said Daisies showed great maturity when he had to revert to Plan B, her resilience which Mills detailed coming to the fore on the straight.
“Didn’t go to plan early. We wanted to be in the box seat, but she just sat in the barriers as they opened,” he said.
“And we had to go to Plan B. Luck came at the right time.
“She was super because when I made a run on her, she got her revs up.
“I had to stop and manoeuvre my way out, and then I asked her to go again and she really found.”
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