Quality sprinter Babylon Berlin put her recent bridesmaid tag well behind her when she bolted home in the Gr.3 Haunui Farm Kings Plate (1200m).
The Ben Foote-trained daughter of All Too Hard had to settle for four runner-up finishes in a row prior to her Te Rapa effort, with the last three all at Group One level.
While still facing some handy performers on Saturday the five-year-old mare showed just how good she is as she cruised along in front for rider Kozzi Asano before briefly extending in the run home to put a seven-length cushion on her challengers, easing to the line in a slick 1.08.65 for the 1200m journey.
Foote was delighted to see his charge cross the line first as he plots a potential Australin campaign as her next assignment.
“She just tries really hard and we are all proud of her,” Foote said.
“We knew they might try to take us on so I left it up to Kozzi, as we knew she could run time and she proved that.
“I still think there is still some improvement there which gives us confidence going ahead to Melbourne.”
Foote advised the mare is scheduled to be on a plane to Melbourne to contest the weight-for-age Gr.1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on March 24 at her next start.
Asano was never in doubt his mount had the wood on her rivals.
“I’ve done my job, but she is always so consistent and I’m glad to get the job done today,” he said.
“She is really kind and I wanted to see if she could find her feet early, but going into the bend she grabbed the bit.
“After that she changed legs and did everything professionally and she just rolled in front very easily.”
Raced by Foote along with Scott Williams, Kim Rogers, Sam Beatson, Cedric Foote and Andrew Stuart, Babylon Berlin is out of Fusaichi Pegasus mare You Can’t Say That, a daughter of What Can I Say who won eight races including six at stakes level.
Babylon Berlin has now won seven of her 23 starts and over $495,000 in prizemoney.
The race was marred shortly before the start when second favourite Bonny Lass was sensationally late scratched after pulling a shoe behind the barriers, then standing on the nail, to rule her out of the contest. – NZ Racing Desk
