The opening race on a star-studded card at Randwick on Saturday was dominated by New Zealand-breds, with Loving Cilla and Philipsburg running first and second in the A$120,000 Midway Handicap (1800m).
Loving Cilla was an unlucky third in a similar race over 1600m at Randwick two weeks earlier, having struggled to obtain clear running down the straight.
There were no such concerns on Saturday, with jockey Tyler Schiller taking the seven-year-old back to second-last before bringing her down the outside with an irresistible finishing burst. Philipsburg kicked through on her inside to provide a stern challenge in the final 100m, but Loving Cilla kept finding and claimed a narrow but impressive win.
“She doesn’t work like a horse who’s looking for a trip, but she definitely races like one,” Schiller said. “Her first-up run was a bit disappointing, and she was very unlucky when she was held up last start. Today there were no hard-luck stories and it was a very good result.”
Trained by Greg Hickman, Loving Cilla has now had 23 starts for four wins, seven placings and A$174,995 in prize-money.
“It panned out perfectly today,” Hickman said. “It was like the Randwick of old – get back and then get home down the outside.
“Her work had been up to scratch since her last run. She was probably a bit unlucky not finish a bit closer in that previous start, but we elected to come to the outside today and get an uninterrupted run. Happily it paid off.
“She might even get over a little bit further than this yet. She doesn’t look like a stayer, but she’s going super.”
Bred by Stewart Hume, Loving Cilla is by Westbury Stud stallion Reliable Man. Loving Cilla’s dam is the Encosta De Lago mare Equivalence, who has been represented by five winners from six foals to race.
Loving Cilla was offered by Westbury Stud in Book 2 of Karaka 2018, where she was bought by Ible Racing and DJI Bloodstock for $30,000.
Saturday’s runner-up Philipsburg was bred by JML Bloodstock Ltd and is by Per Incanto out of the Darci Brahma mare Saint Martins. Bought for $110,000 from Blandford Lodge’s draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2019, Philipsburg has had 43 starts for six wins, nine placings and A$385,117 in stakes.