It’s not often the Racing Gods present you with a three horse field. So when those rare opportunities arise, they have to be seized!
The O’Dea Hoysted team had earlier resolved to scratch POLARISING from the 1200m Fillies and Mares Maiden at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, on the basis of her perceived inability to handle the Heavy 10 surface.
However, by 7:20 am with the field reduced to just three runners after a dozen scratchings, the guys decided to roll the dice. And what a fortuitous decision it proved to be as the 4yo daughter of PARIAH shed her non-winners status at start seven, winning comfortably by more than length.
“To be honest, she didn’t handle the track, really struggled. But she was just better than them,” rider Boris Thornton revealed after the race.
“She definitely got a bit tired late as the Heavy 10 found her out, but she’ll be really improved when she gets back on top of the ground.”
POLARISING was privately acquired as a yearling for just $20,000 and becomes Proven’s 11th winner for 2024. Her victory brought some minor consolation for PRIVATE EYE’s narrow and courageous defeat in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) on Saturday at Flemington.