Steve O'Donoghue and Todd Matthews celebrate Staccato's 3YO Vicbred success. They are hoping to also win the 4YO trophy. Photo by Gary Wild
Staccato will be out to enhance the impressive record of defending champions when she contests tonight's $100,000 Vicbred Super Series 4YO Mares Final at Moonee Valley.
In the 24 years of the series, six female pacers have gone on to win the Vicbred four-year-old final after also saluting at three.
Ashlees Babe in 2004 is the only horse to have achieved the feat in the past decade, but Dance With Rain (1998), Concorde Lombo (1997), Lee Vegas (1994), Butlers Love (1993) and Hyperstat (1987) have also done it.
Staccato's trainer, Shepparton-based Steve O'Donoghue, said it would be a huge thrill if Staccato could notch her 13th career win in the Group 1, but said he was already proud of what the daughter of Christian Cullen had achieved.
"I said to someone before the heat that there wouldn't be too many horses that go through and win a two, three and four-year-old heat (or semi)," he said.
"Not the final, just the heats. It's a very, very hard thing to do in Victoria and she didn't win her heat (this year), but she won her semi."
That was last weekend at Moonee Valley when Staccato bounced back from a second placing in her heat to upset Sophie Pass in the quicker of the two semis (1:59.3).
At two she won a heat at Echuca before running third in both her semi and final, while she also won a heat of the three-year-old series at Stawell.
She then went on to upset eventual Australian 3YO Filly of the Year Kept For Pleasure in last year's Group 1 final.
O'Donoghue will be looking to the big-race specialist, who won the Australasian Breeders Crown final at two, to do the same again tonight.
Driver Todd Matthews has a back-row draw to contend with in the 2575-metre final, but O'Donoghue said she would be much better for two runs back from a lengthy spell.
"She had a very easy run at Shepparton in her heat," he said. "We didn't want to, but she drew one and got crossed and then got crossed again and we we're three back the pegs and did no work.
"I was counting on more of a hit out than what we got so I thought she might be short of a run last week, but she wasn't.
"She pulled up well and will be at least as good this week, but Kept For Pleasure and a couple of the others will probably be better as well."
The Bolinda Publishing Vicbred Super Series 4YO Mares Final is race seven on the eight-event card and will be run at 9.42pm.
