The “winning machine” is now set to shake up her competitors in the $1 million Queen Of The Turf Stakes at Royal Randwick on April 9.
That was the opinion of Yonce’s assistant trainer Lucy Yeomans after the classy four-year-old mare’s comfortable one-length win in the $200,000 The GH Mumm Mystic Journey (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Star Of Eden (paying $21 to win with Ladbrokes for Michael Moroney) held a good lead up until the last 200m, before the raging $1.18 favourite (John Allen aboard) ran her down with ease.
“Now Yonce is about to let rip!”
That’s six consecutive victories for the @cmaherracing mare
pic.twitter.com/NUY2cLDPPq
— Racing.com (@Racing) March 19, 2022
“She never really looked in doubt,” Yeomans, the assistant to Ciaran Maher and David Eustace, told racing.com.
“Dependent on how she pulls up we might look to send her to the Queen Of the Turf in Sydney (a Group 1 mile race), which is in three weeks.
“I’m sure she’ll do not much in the meantime and she’ll be in great order.”
Racing.com commentator Clint Hutchison summed up Yonce’s win well.
“She’s a winning machine. You just love her. She’s coasted up there,” he said.
Allen was of the same opinion, never panicking after Star Of Eden led at the turn.
“I don’t think it was any real issue. I wanted to stay off the fence early,” he said.
“I was confident my filly would (hit the front) and, as it transpired, she did. She wasn’t doing a whole lot when she hit the front either.
“So I think she won pretty easily.”
Allen believes Yonce can challenge her opponents in the Queen Of The Turf.
“Probably a high-pressure mile race would be right up her straight. The way things are going it’s probably (with the weather) going to be a soft track up there,” he said.
“And she showed she’s handled that well.
“If she pulls up 100 per cent she’ll hopefully be in with a big shout.”
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