A fantasy comes true

Photo: The Studholme Bloodstock bred TRUE FANTASY after winning her Group 1 at Alexandra Park (Charlotte Mooney)

Jean Feiss is starting to make the Gr.1 Caduceus Club Fillies Classic (2200m) her own.

The Australian-based owner has now won four of the last six editions of the race after True Fantasy ran home late to capture the feature fillies classic at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

The Hayden Cullen-trained juvenile was taken back to the rear of the field from her wide draw where driver Mark Purdon sat patiently throughout.

He asked True Fantasy to improve three-wide on the back of Chevrons Bypass down the back straight before producing his charge five-wide turning for home.

The daughter of Bettor’s Delight was able to showcase her turn of foot in the slushy conditions and score a half-neck victory over Montana Glory, with a further head back to Dance Till Dawn in third.

Cullen was impressed with True Fantasy’s performance and was full of praise for Purdon’s tactics.

“It was a really good drive by Mark,” Cullen said.

“I thought it was very patient and they were running along enough early. She came home really well.

“It’s probably the first time she has raced on a track like that, but it didn’t seem to bother her.

“The draw was going to be the difficult thing, but we certainly knew the ability was there.”

True Fantasy now boasts a record of two wins and a second from three starts and looks the one to beat in next week’s Gr.1 Magness Benrow NZ Sires’ Stakes Filles Championship.

“She is a lovely filly and from her first start to her second start she made a big improvement, so her performance on Friday didn’t surprise us,” Cullen said.

“She will go again next week in the Sires’ Stakes Final and then the Harness Million the following week, and the Jewels after that, all going well.”

True Fantasy was purchased for $70,000 out of Studholme Bloodstock’s 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Standardbred National Yearling Sale by Feiss, who previously won the Fillies Classic with Spanish Armada (2016), Elle Mac (2017), and Amazing Dream (2019).

By Joshua Smith - HRNZ