Prima Bella appreciated the quick pace and finished strongly to win the Ranvet Handicap (1000m).
Considered one of the most improved horses in training, Prima Bella has hit a purple patch of form, recording her third win from five starts this winter preparation.
“Prima Bella’s airborne,” Smith enthused. “When you get a mare in form, you have to keep them going. Look at Paul Cave’s mare The Mona Lisa, she keeps winning too. My mare has never been going better and I will have to look at a stakes race now because she is racing so well.”
Prima Bella ($7), who carried a competitive weight of 52.5kg after apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald’s 3kg claim, powered to victory by just over a length from the favourite Amazing Eagle ($3.40). Beast Mode ($5.50), the early pace-setter, held on for third.
The Randwick track surface was upgraded to a Good 4 during the meeting, but Prima Bella’s time of 56.57 seconds remained exceptionally fast for this time of year.
Smith indicated that Prima Bella is likely to target a race like the Group 3 Toy Show Quality (1100m) at Randwick in two weeks.
“I’ve got Idle Flyer resuming that day but I might split the mares up and run her in the Show County Quality (Group 3 $250,000, 1200m),” Smith said. “Prima Bella deserves her chance in a better class of race as she is in such good form and she handles wet or dry tracks.”
Idle Flyer, a winner of the Group 2 Emancipation Stakes and Group 1 Queen of the Turf Stakes to conclude her autumn campaign, has completed two barrier trials in preparation for her return, including a close sixth behind Matcha Latte at Rosehill on Friday.
Smith’s speedy sprinter Headwall also moved closer to a racing comeback with a notable third in Apocalyptic’s heat at Rosehill.
In other news, New Zealand trainer Lauren Brennan had her inaugural runner at Royal Randwick and celebrated a win with I Park in the MyPlates Handicap (2400m).
I Park achieved his third career win from 21 starts, collecting $82,500 for his Sydney Saturday success, which was more than his earnings from his previous 20 starts combined.
“Our plan was to bring I Park to Sydney over winter and look for these 2400m races,” Brennan explained. “He’s got the win and I think we might take him home now.”
Ridden by Tim Clark, I Park ($12) dug deep under pressure to defeat Le Troisir ($8.80) by a long head, with Elle Hudson ($4.40 equal favourite) finishing just over a length away in third.
Golden Century, which had been backed into equal favouritism at $4.40, led into the straight but faded to finish at the rear of the field.
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