You could make a case for Wayne Potter’s six-year-old mare Sophies Ideal being underrated.
The daughter of American Ideal/Bring Her Back swept by her opposition at Tabcorp Park Melton on Friday night to claim the Harness Breeders Victoria Melton Mares Championship over 2240 metres.
She was nearly 50-1 with bookmakers, unwanted in the betting having not won for over 12 months.
Despite the drought all up the mare has won 14 races from 54 career starts and placed second or third on 17 other occasions.
Sophies Ideal came from well-back in the run for reinsman Mark Pitt to blouse pacemakers Wow Shes Smooth and Berisari in the straight, the winner’s last 800m surely covered in about 54 seconds.
Quarters three and four were 27.5 and 27.5 but Sophies Ideal was launching into the action from the 400m, catapulting home for an impressive conquest in 1:57.8.
Wow Shes Smooth led for Lance Justice and kicked on the corner, but she couldn’t maintain the rage, wilting late to run fifth.
Milly Perez wound up runner-up, charging home at the finish – her late splits will be strong – while Berisari battled on for third after sitting parked from gate seven at her first run this time in.
Whereibylong was heavily backed by punters and finished fourth.
>> Video: Sophies Ideal scorches by her opponents to win the HBV Melton Mares Championship
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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