Talented filly Eloping maintained her consistent form to record a strong win in the 2014 Royal Randwick Stakes on the second day of The Championships this afternoon.
Eloping has now recorded four wins from seven career starts after leading all the way in the 2014 Royal Randwick Stakes.
Eloping was forced to do a fair amount of work early in the race to get across to the lead, but was able to control the race and worked home strongly to hold-off the fast-finishing Ygritte and Darley filly Shaumari.
Trainer Peter Morgan has been looking for a chance to send Eloping to the spelling paddock, and thought that her campaign would be over following her win in the VOBIS Gold Rush (1000m) and her unlucky seventh in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m), but has been delighted with the way that the Choisir filly has backed-up from each of her race starts during her juvenile campaign.
“What a filly, she has never had a days soreness, she just keeps eating up and we keep bringing her back,” Morgan said after the race.
“She does really well in the paddock and that suits her; well done to her.
“I would imagine that she would have a break, but sometimes you give them a break and they don’t come back, so who knows.”
Stephen Baster has formed an excellent relationship with Eloping and was able to control the race once he got the juvenile to the front from her wide barrier.
Baster said that he has been amazed with the way that Eloping has been able to bounce back from tough runs throughout her preparation and was thrilled with the way that she was able to finish off the Royal Randwick Stakes this afternoon.
“She is amazing,” Baster said.
“I have basically come in every time and said that she needs a break, but Pete said that she just gets home, eats up and is just unbelievable.
“I was worried about the 1200, I knew she would get 1100 but I wasn’t sure that she would get a 1200, and when Froggy took off at the end of the straight I just had to wait a little bit.
“She was all good and strong to the line to her credit.”
The Darley duo of Memorial and Shaumari were both well-backed in the lead-up to the Royal Randwick Stakes and were able to make up ground from the tail of the field, but were no match for the leader, while Magic Millions Classic runner-up Oakleigh Girl tired badly in the final stages of the race to finish towards the tail of the field.
