THE Christian Salter-trained and driven Ark Breeze ($4.60) won the $30,000 Granny Smith final for four-year-old mares with an outstanding display of front running over the 2665-metre trip.
Despite having had only one start in eight months leading up to the Granny Smith the mare proved too strong for her rivals scoring by five metres from outsiders Joan Grant and Mi Makarova.
Brighton trainer-driver Christian Salter was confident of winning after Ark Breeze drew well, with one reservation.
“I was a bit worried that she might be underdone for the race because she’d had eight months off through niggling little injuries and she had only one start going into this race,” Salter said.
“But when she drew the pole position I thought she’d be hard to beat if she held the lead,” Salter said
“She’s had a bit of soreness which is why she hasn’t been racing.”
Salter said that Ark Breeze deserved to win a good race after being narrowly beaten by Barooga Minnie in the three-year-old Sires Stake final (Bandbox) last year.
“I’ve had a bit of luck with this family so I was keen to get her and I thank her owner Shane Hawes for sending her down to me,’’ the trainer said.
“Her half brothers Aninchofhislife, Drifting West and Ark West have all won a lot of races.”