Talented driver Jocelyn Young has had high hopes of winning the prestigious Westral Mares Classic in the past two years with the brilliant Steno but has been left lamenting after the speedster failed to deliver the goods, finishing a fading ninth in 2023 and a fighting third last year.
Now she has bright prospects of setting the pace and winning the $150,000 group 1 feature event over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night with six-year-old Little Darling, who lacks the sheer brilliance of Steno but makes up for that with her fierce determination and splendid fighting qualities.
Little Darling, trained by Cameron Ross, has drawn favourably at barrier two, and Young will be anxious to win the start and dictate terms in front.
Little Darling warmed up in fine style for the big race with an impressive performance last Friday night when she worked in the breeze before surging away from her rivals to score an emphatic victory over Heavenly Gipsy in a prelude, rating 1.56.5 over 2130m after final quarters of 27.9sec. and 28.2sec.
“I didn’t plan to do all the work in the breeze, but she did it quite comfortably,” said Young.
Ross was delighted with Little Darling’s performance, saying: “I would describe her as an old school horse; the harder she races, the better she goes. She just backs up and loves racing every week.
“Little Darling and Steno are very different horses. Steno is a bit more new school who needs a break between runs and is very fast whereas Little Darling is more versatile and is quite tough. She doesn’t have the electric speed that Steno had. Barry Howlett (owner) sent Little Darling to me to train in tip-top order, and she is a lovely quiet horse.”
Little Darling’s winning prospects soared after drawing to lead, and with super mare Penny Black drawing the inside of the back line and in danger of being hemmed in, and the brilliant Copy Cat Queen having the marked disadvantage of starting from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.
The redoubtable Aardiebytheseaside, who set the pace from barrier two and won the Mares Classic 12 months ago, looms large as Little Darling’s greatest threat. Little Darling, then prepared by Howlett, was a $21 chance from barrier five who ran on from seventh at the bell to finish fourth.
Aardiebytheseaside, a winner at 21 of her 44 starts, is sure to give her supporters a great run for their money. She simply does not know how to run a poor race and looks set to fight out the finish.
Aardiebytheseaside lost no admirers last Friday week when she finished second to Penny Black in the group 2 Norms Daughter Classic over 2130m. She enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, and took a narrow lead 220m from home. She was disadvantaged when the tyre of the off-sulky wheel deflated in the back straight in the final circuit.
“She was awesome last start and I’m really happy with her,” said her driver Deni Roberts. “The draw has levelled this week’s race out a bit, and we have an advantage over some of her main rivals, including Penny Black. And she loves the trip (2536m).”
Aardiebytheseaside is prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, who were successful in the inaugural Mares Classic in 2012 when Luke McCarthy drove Baby Bling to victory over Aussie Made Lombo.
Brilliant sit-sprinter Copy Cat Queen, a winner at eight of her 13 starts in her current campaign, faces a stern task from her outside barrier, with her trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo commenting: “She will find it hard from there.”
The prospects of another four-year-old, Nase Vira, improved when she drew the prized No. 1 barrier. “She battled on very well last start (when third behind Penny Black and Aardiebytheseaside),” said trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green.
“We will run the gate and then see what happens,” said Egerton-Green. “There is speed on her outside, and she will probably be better off on a helmet.”
Pinjarra trainer-reinsman Shane Young will be hoping for a third time lucky scenario when he lines up on barrier two on the back line with his outstanding six-year-old Wonderful To Fly, a winner 33 races and $855,493in prizemoney.
Wonderful To Fly was the $1.45 favourite when she set the pace and finished second to Simply Shaz in the 2023 Mares Classic, and in last year’s race she sat behind the frontrunning Aardiebytheseaside and finished second.
