Walking Flying (NZ) (Tavistock) brought up a winning hattrick at Flemington on Saturday when scoring a stylish victory in the Silver Bowl Series Final (1600m).
The filly lumped 60kg to victory under a slick ride from Jamie Mott, who also partnered the filly in her previous two successes.
“She’s in fantastic form and she’s done a great job as she’s been up a long time,” co-trainer Ben Hayes said. “It was a very good ride by Jamie, who had to be patient and found the gaps.
“He’s got a great relationship with her and can stay on her as long as he wants if he keeps riding her like that.”
Hayes, who trains the three-year-old filly in partnership with his father David and cousin Tom Dabernig, indicated Walking Flying would now head for a spell before returning to chase black type targets.
“She might be looking for the paddock now and we’ll try and get some black type later on,” he said.
Heavyweight rider Mott said the filly was in the zone at present and had grown in confidence when stepping through the grades.
“The team have got her absolutely flying,” Mott said. “It was when she won the BM64, she got a bit of confidence from that and has progressed through the grades really well.
“Hopefully that continues and she can springboard into something in the spring. She’s racing so well and did well with 60 kilos.”
Walking Flying is a daughter of former top-class mare Veloce Bella who was raced by Murray and Marg Hardy and Paddy Preston of the Sunlight Trust.
They also bred Walking Flying, who was sold to Yulong as a yearling in Australia for A$120,000 and is raced by Mr Huang, a close friend of Mr Yuesheng Zhang of Yulong Investments.
Veloce Bella won 12 races, including the Gr.1 Waikato International Stakes (2000m) and a further four times at Group Two level.