Dean Yendall & Matthew Williams have combined with Wrote To Arataki ($10.00) to claim victory in the Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday afternoon, sustaining a tough run in testing conditions.
The rain continued to fall pre-race as the field of seven were loaded into the barriers, and it didn’t seem to affect the daughter of Wrote, with Yendall pressing forward to sit outside the well-supported favourite with horse racing bookmakers, Fancify ($2.30).
The pair were striding out at a genuine clip throughout the 1400m journey, leaving James McDonald aboard Molly Bloom ($6.00) to do the stalking from the one-one, while Miraval Rose ($4.40) was smoking the pipe towards the rear of the field under Craig Williams.
Fancify was quick to throw in the towel as they straightened, leaving Wrote To Arataki to push clear in the final furlong, while Molly Bloom and Miraval Rose were left to fight it out for the minor money.
Stable representative Sarah Woodhouse was on course to breakdown the win.
“She came through that run (first-up) really well,” said Woodhouse.
“It was a really hot, but she actually handled the hot conditions really well and it’s very easy for us at home, we can get her down to the beach for the next couple of days to recover and she presented really well here today.
“She just didn’t come up to her best last preparation, nothing went wrong but just a good break and a little bit of change around of her training and it’s got her back on song today.”
Dean Yendall was delighted with the win and was happy see Wrote To Arataki get back to her best on Saturday.
“To win on this mare has been a really good thrill for me,” said Yendall.
“To get back on her, she went by the wayside and lost her way, but she had a little bit of an ocean break elsewhere and she obviously enjoyed it because she’s come back really good.
“Today I was able to begin really cleanly, Fancify just had to do a little bit of work, not a heap, to hold the lead. I could have taken it up easily the way I shot out of the barriers, but that wasn’t my plan.
“When the wind was pushing hard across I thought ideally just to sit off the wind of the leader and try and get cover off that, which probably worked it a little bit, and in the straight I just let her loose.”
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