Well-bred filly Catch Me produced a record breaking performance in winning the first two year old filly’s race of the season, the Group 3 $160,000 Keeneland Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) at Randwick today.
Catch Me, above, wins the Gimcrack Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy had no choice to sit wide throughout on Catch Me after the filly couldn’t find any cover from a wide barrier in the capacity fourteen horse field.
The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Catch Me ($5) was wide on the home turn but had clear running and overhauled the leaders at the 250m to run away to record a two and three quarter lengths in the new race record time of 56.99 secs.
The Clarry Conners trained Diddles ($4.80 favourite) did all the work up front and battled on courageously in the straight to finish second with the winner’s stablemate Mayaaseh ($5) running on for third.
“That was special,” McEvoy said.
“She has a nice amount of ability. I was wide and pushed more on the corner but she still had this massive ability to put her nose in front as we approached the furlong and done it quite soft in the end.”
“A great start to her career.”
“She is above average and she is only going to get better.”
“A really good effort today to kick like she did after being wide and being a little aggressive for the first part of the race. She couldn’t have done any more.”
Winning trainer Peter Snowden was always confident that Catch Me would race well and figure in the finish and would be a good type for the 2019 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.
“I thought she could run well. When the draw came out it is not very often they win from those wide gates first start in a race. Even though she’d done everything right at home, she can get lost in a position she’d never been before,” Peter Snowden said.
“I said to the owners yesterday if she runs well, the Blue Diamond is a perfect timing for her. That’s what we’ll have in mind for her.”
Catch Me is by the top sire I Am Invincible out of the O’Reilly mare Captivating Claire and was picked up for $625,000 at the 2018 Australian Easter Yearling Sales.
