James McDonald was effusive in his praise for Wee Nessy after the daughter of Snitzel broke through for a belated stakes victory in Saturday’s Listed PFD Food Services Crockett Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.
Placed at Listed level at her first two starts before breaking her maiden at Bendigo in August, Wee Nessy to did not have the rub of the green in the Listed Cap D'Antibes Stakes or Group III Thoroughbred Club Stakes, which sandwiched a victory at Mornington.
Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Wee Nessy made a sweeping run to defeat the Deep Field filly Bay Thirteen by three-quarters of a length with a further one and three-quarter lengths back to the Spieth filly Birdies Galore in third.
Kent said it was a positive that McDonald was keen to take the ride.
“James wanted to ride her after last start. He’s hard to get, but he wanted to ride her and it was a big win,” Kent said.
“I wasn’t sure about her over 1200 metres, but to step back and circle the field early was very good.
“She’s by Snitzel, so the (heavy) track was not an issue.”
McDonald said it panned out well for Wee Nessy.
“She won with a bit in hand. I think she’s a smart filly,” McDonald said.
“She was very quick away and I planned to ride her quieter. She was stuck in ‘no man's land’ for a little bit of the race, but as the tempo came out of the race I let her slide forward, and she really enjoyed that.
“She loves soft ground and coming off a hard luck story last time, she had a barrier trial leading into this, so she was on fresh legs.
“She’s quite a smart filly and I was pretty rapt with her.
“The tempo of the race didn’t suit us early, but she was trucking into it, and I let her do her thing. She probably should have won last start, so I was rapt to be on her.
Flying Angels/ARJB shelled out $400,000 from Wee Nessy from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
She is the third winner from four to race out of the stakes-placed winner, Later Gator.
A daughter of More Than Ready (USA), Later Gator is Group III-placed Next The Universe (Mossman) from a three-quarter sister to Group III Blue Diamond Preview winner and Group 1 Blue diamond stakes third World Peace.
Arrowfield consigned a brother to Wee Nessy at the Gold Coast in January, which was hammered down to China Horse Club/Newgate Bloodstock/Trilogy Racing for $825,000.
Named Snapback and trained by Peter and Paul Snowden, the son of Snitzel looked good in winning a barrier trial at Warwick Farm on September 22.
From the famed Denise’s Joy family, Later Gator has a yearling filly by Dundeel and missed to Pariah last spring.
Wee Nessy becomes the 127th stakes-winner for Arrowfield Stud’s Snitzel.
