THE Geoff Duryea-trained Stacey Lee blitzed her rivals to score one of most emphatic victories ever seen at the Albury racecourse on Saturday.
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Stacey Lee, was heavily supported from her opening quote of $2.10 to start as the $1.80-favourite and gave favourite backers no cause for concern as she cruised to a 9?-length victory over Rough Company ($10) with Passadena ($21) a further 1?-lengths back in third in the $5000 Maiden Hcp (1175m).
It was the three-year-old filly’s first career victory after two unplaced performances in her first preparation earlier this year.
Stacey Lee was resuming from a 17-week spell on Saturday but had one trial run at Wagga last month when beaten a length by the Brett Cavanough-trained and group 1 winner Speed Gifted.
Leading Border jockey Simon Miller made the most of a late riding change after he replaced Tim Phillips in the saddle after Phillips was forced to miss the meeting because of illness.
“It was a handy pick-up ride and the biggest winning margin I have ever been involved in,” Miller said.
“I was talking to Tim Phillips yesterday and he said she trialled impressively at Wagga.
“But you rarely see a horse win by that sort of margin.”
The emphatic victory was made even more impressive after Stacey Lee was forced to overcome the hurdle of drawing the widest barrier in the 11-horse field.
“The plan was to be up among the leaders but she was just too fast for them and pounced on the early lead,” Miller said.
“It would have of been of no benefit to the horse if I had tried to restrain her so I just let her cruise along at her own pace out in front.
“She was travelling easily and pinched a four-length break turning for home.”
Miller said Stacey Lee would possibly target a race at Albury Racing Club’s next meeting on October 22.
Phillips missed out on a winning double when Gotashotaway scored a thrilling win in the $5000 Benchmark 52 (2000m) with Brendan Ward in the saddle.
Ward enhanced his reputation as one of the leading country jockeys when he completed a winning treble aboard Tully Ranee and Kaeduna.
Wagga trainer Brad Witt claimed the training honours when he scored a winning double with Gotashotaway and the Amanda Masters-ridden Lexical Ambiguity, who landed a successful long-odds plunge after being backed from $13 into $6.
