3 minute read
After registering wins over shorter trips at Ballarat and Pakenham, Written Miss has done it the hard way to remain unbeaten with a fighting victory at Flemington on Saturday.
Written Miss, under the guidance of Jason Benbow, looked all-at-sea over the straight 1200m course Saturday's Lexus Holiday Plate.
Benbow took the three-year-old filly to the lead and was determined to keep her away from the inside running rail.
However, Written Miss wanted to hang down to fence and when the going got tough, Benbow switched the persuader to the left hand in a bid to keep the filly on a straight course.
The race did not want to be too much further as Written Miss, the $2.60 favourite, scored by a short-half-head from Pioneer River ($9) with Zion ($4.40) a further short-neck away third.
Written Miss provided trainer Caroline Jennings with her first Saturday metropolitan success when victorious at Pakenham on December 5 and the filly was the trainer's first Flemington representative having only started training in January this year.
Jennings now has six winners from 19 career starters.
"I'm having an incredible time," Jennings said.
"She's a great horse to have. I'm surrounded by great people, a great team, a fantastic owner, James Kennedy, and to have a runner here at Flemington is surreal, let alone have a winner.
"I think I'm trying and aspiring to be the best horseman or horsewoman that I can be. In this big time, I'm trying to keep my feet on the ground and head screwed on and keep watching the horses. It seems to be working out, right?
"I've got loads of support not only in my team and my owner but my partner Adrian is in it with me. I'm talking about these horses all the time.
"I've got my family at home in Ireland 'rooting' me on so it's a big and a great time.
"We'll see how she pulls up and just make some exciting plans that will suit her."
Written Miss' win was Benbow's first at headquarters in four years, although his career in recent times has been interrupted by injury.
"I'm just relieved that her number was in the frame," Benbow said.
"The concern pre-race was the 1200 metres up the straight. She got the job done but I think she'll take improvement and benefit from having the experience up the straight the first time.
"She was shortening stride rather quickly in the last 50 metres. She looked like she was going to win by a length but then it got narrowed down to a short-half-head.
"I'm grateful that she stuck her nose out, but she'll be better from that."