Nick Olive has pulled off an incredible training feat by taking Spicy Lu from a Class One Handicap at Albury to claim the Listed Fernhill Mile in the very next start on day two of The Championships at Randwick.
The daughter of Tagloa opened as a +2500 outsider with horse racing bookmakers before being heavily backed on Friday and Saturday morning to jump at +500 on the third line of betting.
After drawing barrier one and gaining one of the better frontrunning jockeys, Rachel King, Spicy Lu appeared to be one of the key speed influences in the race, and she gained an uncontested lead throughout, with Lady Pankhurst (+500) choosing to settle behind her.
Michelangelo (+220), the race favourite with BlondeBet, settled at the back of the field and didn’t enjoy the slow tempo, while Tupukara (+290), who was the other market fancy, settled in fourth and gained the run of the race.
However, as the leader turned for home and gave a strong kick at the 350m, she put up a two-length margin on the rest of the field.
Going past the 100m mark, it was clear that no one was running down Spicy Lu, and she claimed a 1.9-length victory over Tupukara and Lady Pankhurst.
Nick Olive was on course to speak about the win.
“Bloody thrilled for all the team back at home, we’ve got such a team at home now, and they’ve done such a good job with her,” Olive said.
“We always thought she’s had good ability, but you win two country races, and it’s a big step up to win a stakes race.
“But she stepped up and got the job done, and it was a fantastic ride by Rach (King).
“We thought that they might underestimate her, and she drew the one (barrier).
“I said, ‘If you can dictate and get going from the 600 (metres), if she has been left alone, she will be hard to run down.’
“We’ll let things play out and see what happens in the next week.”
Rachel King was complimentary of the winner in her post-race interview.
“She is new, yeah, she wasn’t quite sure what to do in front,” King said of the winner.
“She just kept improving and that big stride kept getting longer and longer.
“She’s done that in second gear, like, I couldn’t get after her properly because she was running sideways.”
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