A well-judged ride by Ben Thompson steered MISSED THE ALARM to her fifth career win on Friday night.
Freshened up since beaten 1.5 lengths over 2200m at Ipswich on October 14, MISSED THE ALARM reverted to 1800m at the Sunshine Coast and it proved a winning formula as the mare swooped from the tail to claim victory in the shadows of the post.
The daughter of RIP VAN WINKLE was assisted by a genuine speed, which allowed her to relax mid-race and be saved for one final burst at the leaders.
For a moment it looked as though MISSED THE ALARM was going to be pocketed between runners, but Thompson skilfully extricated the mare into clear running at the 300m marker before charging to the post.
Friday’s result confirmed that this mare’s optimum trip is 1800m despite having won up to 2200m in her 23-start career.
Trainers Steve O’Dea and Matt Hoysted believe she is best suited in fast run middle distance races as opposed to longer distance races where she is more inclined to over-race.
Stablemate TOO HOT TO HOLD contested the same race and was gallant in her first try beyond a mile, finishing just 0.6 lengths off MISSED THE ALARM.
Proven Thoroughbreds’ tally of winners for 2020 has now climbed to 40.