An ambitious strategy has paid dividends for connections of Prima Bella, the in-form mare who claimed the Toy Show Quality at Randwick by overcoming two notable rivals.

Trainer Matthew Smith elected to step up the six-year-old to Group 3 company after she had strung together consecutive benchmark wins at Flemington and Randwick, uncertain if the mare was ready for the challenge.

Prima Bella ($5.50) proved her worth, sitting just off the pace and finding the necessary determination in the straight to secure victory by a long head over Stardom ($16). The Flight Stakes winner, Apocalyptic ($2.50 favourite), put in a late effort to finish third, another three-quarters of a length behind. Observers noting the best horse racing betting sites witnessed Prima Bella defy the short-priced favourite.

Smith lauded jockey Kerrin McEvoy’s positive ride, highlighting how the mare’s substantial weight advantage over Group 1 performers Apocalyptic and Savvy Hallie, the latter finishing last and proving the race’s disappointment, was expertly used.

“Kerrin took the initiative and took luck out of it,” McEvoy said.

“You just had to make it run so the better horses were vulnerable with the weight. That’s how you had to run it, and Kerrin rode it beautifully.”

This was Prima Bella’s sixth start of a campaign that began in May, but Smith has employed a strategy of interspersed short spells in the paddock and plans to continue this approach.

While not looking beyond Saturday’s Toy Show Quality (1100m), he is keen for the mare to maintain her racing career while she is performing so strongly.

“No. That was it. I didn’t go any further. This was her grand final so it’s bloody great it has worked out,” Smith said.

“She will go up to the farm on Monday, she’ll be out in a paddock and work on a sand track up there for a week like she did this time. Nothing special, just keep her ticking over.

“Until she puts her flag up and says, I’ve had enough, we’ll keep going.”

Nash Rawiller commented that Savvy Hallie did not display her typical fighting qualities and suggested there would be a genuine reason for her below-par performance.

“Just concerning she was the first horse beaten,” Rawiller said.

“The first thing that came to my mind was that it might be atrial fibrillation.”

Tommy Berry advised punters not to discount Apocalyptic, explaining that the fast sectional times recorded by the on-pace runners made it exceptionally difficult for those from behind to make up ground.

“They ran home in 33.7 (seconds) so it is very hard to catch them when they’re doing that. She’s done a good job,” Berry said.

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