New Zealand
Afternoon Siesta wasn’t caught napping in Cuddle Stakes
Afternoon Siesta wasn’t caught napping at Trentham on Sunday, with the John Bary-trained mare storming home to win the Gr.3 Rydges Wellington Cuddle Stakes (1600m).
The daughter of Shamus Award pinged out of the gates and made a beeline straight to the front from her inside draw (2) but quickly found herself three back on the fence after Marotiri Molly and My Lips Are Sealed made bids for the lead.
Afternoon Siesta tracked My Lips Are Sealed into the home turn where a gap presented itself and she accelerated through it under the urgings of jockey Kelly Myers, with the mare going on to pinch a lead up alongside the rail, kicking clear of the pack before being chased down late by a flying She's A Dealer, who left her run too late and Afternoon Siesta was able to hold on to win by a head.
"She is very easy to ride," Myers said. "She has led in most of her starts but she is super tractable, you can ride her anywhere in the race. It was a very good field and there was a little bit of pressure in the race, so we thought it was a good opportunity to take a sit on her.
"I knew I would end up in the trail, or thereabouts, and she has got a really good turn of foot from the top of the straight, so my only concern was that we would get a little bit held up but luckily the split came when we needed it and she was too good for them.
"It was a big step up for her and she was pretty impressive."
Bred by Barree Stud, Afternoon Siesta is out of Princess Snooze, an unraced daughter of stakes performer Sooze.
She was offered through Ultra Thoroughbreds' 2023 Inglis July (Late) Online Sale where she was purchased by Graham Stewart for A$4,000, and he entrusted her to the care of Bary.
Afternoon Siesta has been a model of consistency since making her debut at Trentham last April, winning four and placing in two of her six starts to date, with earnings now north of $191,000.
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