Just a Monday maiden for three-year-old fillies over 1106m at Benalla it may have been, but it was not short on interest.
Seven of the nine starters were making their career debut, and one of them got the cash.
In a finish dominated by homebreds, the Exceed And Excel filly Suricate finished fast to defeat the twice-raced Toronado (IRE) filly Isles Of Avalon by three-quarters of a length. It was a further half-head back to the Snitzel filly Star Waltz who edged out the Territories (IRE) filly Antipodes for third.
Runner-up Isles Of Avalon carries the colours of Makybe Racing & Breeding's Tony Santic. Isles Of Avalon is a sister to the Group III Typhoon Tracy Stakes runner-up Rainbiel.
Third-placed Star Waltz is a David Moodie-bred half-sister to the Group II Kewney Stakes winner Starelle out of the Group II Queen Of The South winner Star Giselle.
Four-placed, Godolphin homebred, Antipodes is out of Rio Osa, a dual Listed stakes-winning sister to Group 1 VRC Sires' Produce Stakes winner Preserve and a half-sister to Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes winner and successful sire Denman.
The winner Suricate is also a Godolphin homebred. Trained by Anthony & Sam Freedman, Suricate is the first foal of Group III VRC Ottawa Stakes and Listed SAJC Adelaide Guineas winner Antelucan.
A daughter of Domesday, Antelucan is a half-sister to Group II BRC Dane Ripper Stakes winner Hazard (Flying Spur), Group III MRC Manfred Stakes winner Java (Medaglia d'Oro), and Group III SAJC Auraria Stakes winner Crucial (Nadeem).
"She had been trialling up really nicely, albeit mostly on the bridle, but we weren't quite sure what she was going to find off the bridle," Sam Freedman told Racing.com.
"She's always been a nice filly, and we just told Zac (Spain) to give her a nice experience, let her find the line, and it was nice to get the win on debut.
"She will probably get a bit further than that, and she's still pricking her ears on the line; she's not sure what's going on."
"She's bred to get a shorter trip with a lot of speed in her family.
"With these Godolphin fillies, we'll be looking to get a metropolitan win with her. If she can progress further than that, then this is the time of year because there's no hiding when you start to step out in better races."
Antelucan has a yearling colt by Snitzel. She was covered by Exceed And Excel again last spring, having missed to Darley's flagship stallion in 2019.
