Winning Horse: Sword Of Mercy (AUS)

5yoM Sebring (Aus) - Curtana (Aus)(Exceed And Excel (Aus))

23 starts - 6 wins 3 seconds 7 thirds $362320

Black Type Placings

2nd LR Flemington Kensington Stakes 1000m (2021)

Other Wins

1st Caulfield Mia Tiernan (Bm84) 1100m (2021)

1st Flemington G.H. Mumm Christmas Plate-Bm78 1000m (2020)

1st Sandown-Hillside Mrc Foundation (Bm64) 1000m (2020)

1st Bendigo Bendigo Caravan Centre Hcp-58 1100m (2020)

1st Ballarat Evergreen Turf Mdn Plate 1200m (2020)

Race Result:

1st: Sword Of Mercy (M Ellerton & S Zahra/D Lane) - $6.50

2nd: Diamond Effort (C McDonald/J Kah) - $5.50
3rd: Alfa Oro (M Laurie/D Stackhouse) - $2.90 fav

Winning Time: 56.99 Last 600m: 33.04

Margins: 1-¼ Len x ½ Len

Winning Trainer: Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra (Simon speaking)

“She was a bit unlucky in the Oakleigh Plate. I’m pretty rapt with the way she is going. I just thought doing the form, that she had beaten Zoutori home in the Oakleigh Plate and was around Group 1 horses, so I just thought this was her race.

“He rode her well. We had planned to ride her a little bit more quietly than that, but Damian went to plan B and she looked the winner a long way out.”

Oakleigh Plate being a career PB: “Being a mare she has taken a while to put it all together, pending getting a bit of ‘black type’.

“She spent three weeks up the farm. Had a little soft jump-out last week ahead of this race.

“We’ll look to head to Adelaide or that VOBIS race here in a few weeks. There’s a couple of options, but ‘black type’ is what we need for her family.”

Winning Jockey: Damian Lane

“She flew the gate and I was surprised to land first in the run, but I was joined very quickly by Sartorial Splendour. He raced off into the distance and I was doing a bit of donkey work into the breeze, taking the rest of the field up which is not good.

“She’s a good horse. She’s come a long way in this last year or so, since the start of this prep even.

“Well done to everyone at Ellerton-Zahra Racing being able to freshen her up off the back of the Oakleigh Plate run and hopefully that’s not the end of it yet.”