In a remarkable performance late in her career, Bacio Del Mist has captured the biggest win of her racing journey by claiming the Stayer’s Cup at Rosehill for trainers Lee and Cherie Curtis.

The seven-year-old mare, often overlooked due to a series of unfortunate draws and missed opportunities, finally got her chance to shine in Saturday’s 2400m staying test.

Ridden patiently by Alysha Collett, Bacio Del Mist settled in the second half of the field before slicing through runners along the rail and finishing strongest to edge out fellow grey Mormona by a neck. Casual Connection, ever reliable, was a close third just another short neck away.

Lee Curtis said the mare’s tough campaign deserved a reward, referencing her fifth-place finish in the Epona Stakes (1900m) in March as a prime example of her resilience after being balloted out of the Manion Cup (2400m) on the same day.

“She has just had no luck. Not so much with the barriers, although they’ve been horrible, but just missing out on runs in races,” Curtis explained.

“When she ran in the Epona, we had her in another race that day and she missed out by one, and she ran super in the Epona. Over the 2400 metres she would have run really well.

“She has had no luck and she has been running good races too. She is such a gutsy thing and so tough.”

Saturday’s victory in the Stayer’s Cup marked her first city-class win and came at her twelfth start in a preparation that began back in December.

Despite turning eight on August 1, Bacio Del Mist could continue racing if her current form holds. “The plan was to go through this prep and wind it up but the owners might want to race her for another twelve months,” Curtis said. “She is a marvel for a $30,000 yearling.”

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