Miss Cover Girl has returned to winning form in the best way possible at Eagle Farm this afternoon; completing an exceptional performance to break through for a maiden win at the highest level in Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m).
Miss Cover Girl produced a career-best effort to win the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara at Eagle Farm. Photo: Daniel Costello
Miss Cover Girl was rated only an outside chance of success in the Tattersall’s Tiara as a $21 chance, but was allowed to stride forward from the barrier by jockey Damian Browne and took an ideal position in the transit on the heels of early leaders Echo Gal and Cradle Me.
Pulled off the fence and offered clear running rounding onto the final straight, the Monashee Mountain mare locked in a fierce sprint battle with Precious Gem and Sultry Feeling, but pulled clear in the final 200m to also withstand a late charge from Azkadellia and claim the impressive result.
Browne delivered a typically smart performance aboard Miss Cover Girl to win the 2016 Tattersall’s Tiara but was quick to lay all the praise on the mare and trainer Kelly Schweida in the success.
“She’s been a great mare but hasn’t had a lot of luck right through her career,” Browne said.
“Today she was able to get into a great spot, everything just fell into place and she showed what she can do.
“She gave me a lovely ride and I couldn’t have been happier throughout, I was deep with cover and just worked her into it at my own tempo. When I asked her to give me a kick, she gave me a really strong one.”
Stable foreperson for Schweida, Haley Nichols was on hand for Miss Cover Girl’s performance for success in the Tattersall’s Tiara and revealed the race wasn’t always a target for the classy four-year-old this time.
“It is unreal, she’s a stable-favourite and a special horse. It’s amazing to end her prep like this,” Nichols said.
“We had her ready for the 1200m, the first race back here but the event was scratched, so then we had to go to the 1300m the next week and the fitness just wasn’t quite there.
“So we decided to come here today!”
Miss Cover Girl stamped herself as a filly to follow when she took out the Group 3 PJ Bell Stakes (1200m) during The Championships at Royal Randwick in 2015, but was interestingly unable to return to winning form through fourteen subsequent starts leading into being crowned the 2016 Tattersall’s Tiara winner.
