Exciting three-year-olds Miss Boudica and Pinny Tiger will travel to Victoria next month when they will fly the West Australian flag in the $350,000 finals of the APG classics at Melton.
Astute Blythewood trainer Michael Brennan announced these ambitious plans for his talented pair after Miss Boudica and Pinny Tiger had scored impressive victories in heats of the APG national championships at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night.
“The $350,000 finals for fillies and colts and geldings will be held at Melton on May 29, and at this stage both Miss Boudica and Pinny Tiger will be flying over to Victoria and either myself or Kim Young will look after them over there,” said Brennan.
Michael Grantham drove both skilfully and aggressively to score emphatic wins with the youngsters on Tuesday night when Miss Boudica began speedily from barrier two and set a fast pace to win her 1730m heat by 23 metres from Bettors Destroya, rating 1.55. The big, powerful filly was in complete command as she dashed over the final four 400m sections in 28.3sec., 29.5sec., 28.7sec. and 28.5sec.
This followed Miss Boudica’s outstanding performance in the group 1 $150,000 WA Oaks over 2536m when she thundered home from a distant eleventh at the bell to finish third in a three-way photo finish behind Benesari Lane and Always An Angel.
The Victorian-bred Miss Boudica, a daughter of Mach Three, has now raced eight times for three wins, two seconds and two thirds for stakes of $29,771. She is a half-sister to seven winners, including Bettor Rock On, who earned $442,173 from 40 wins and 64 placings from 208 starts in New Zealand, Victoria, Western Australia and America.
“Miss Boudica is inexperienced and very green, but she looks set to develop into an excellent performer,” said Brennan. “And credit is due to Kim (Young) who does all the work on her.
“It’s a big challenge to go to Melbourne for the big APG races. This is why we buy the yearlings we buy, to race them in these sort of races. Miss Boudica cost $16,000, and We paid $53,000 for Pinny Tiger. Both appear to be very good purchases and have bright futures.
“Pinny Tiger is a funny horse who does just what he has to when he’s in front, and when he is in behind, he chases really well.”
Pinny Tiger, also by Mach Three, was untroubled to set the pace and beat Aussie Scooter and Give Us A Wave on Tuesday evening when he sped over the final quarters in 27.6sec. and 28.5sec. and rated 1.55.4 over the 1730m journey.
Pinny Tiger, who finished second to star three-year-old Lavra Joe in the group 2 Western Gateway Pace at Gloucester Park last month, has had 15 starts for four wins and seven seconds for stakes of $38,938.
