Progressive mare aimed for Golden Bracelet

Progressive sprinter Senate Bianca will be aimed at next month’s $30,000 Golden Bracelet (1600m) after producing an explosive turn of foot to blow her rivals away in last Friday’s Smith Thornton Accountants Handicap (1230m) at Percy Spencer Racecourse.

At the first meeting held at the Albany Racing Club this season after track issues forced the transfer of the first two scheduled fixtures, racing returned to the venue and the Mark Nelson-trained galloper gave the crowd something to remember with a brilliant victory.

Senate Bianca started a $3.50 favourite in the race and was slotted into the back half of the field by jockey Mitchell Pateman after jumping from barrier 12.

Money Trainer ($8 chance) and Riding Shotgun ($52) skipped clear by several lengths as they ran to the home corner but Pateman stoked up the four-year-old mare as he came wide around the field and with her devastating turn of foot quickly gobbled up the field to win by 1¼ lengths, despite laying inwards in the final 200m.

It was a second consecutive win for the Blackfriars mare after she won over 1300m in Mt Barker last month and her third victory in just seven career starts. Nelson confirmed the promising mare will be aimed at the fillies and mares feature race in Albany on January 8.

“She will go to the Bracelet now, that’s her go,” Nelson said.

“She is a work in progress because she still wants to lay in.

“I’ll start her Boxing Day and then into the Bracelet and we’ll consider going to Perth after that if everything is going well.”

Nelson said possessing such a powerful turn of foot allowed her to settle well back in races before charging home and he believed a few more minor gear adjustments would improve her further.

It was the first leg of a winning double for Pateman after he earlier booted the Paul Hunter-trained Ashalily home to victory in the Albany Saddlery Maiden (1512m).

Ashalily had no luck last start at Mt Barker when running third but found clear galloping room in the home straight this week as Pateman launched her down the outside from near last on the corner to grab Life Of Leo on the post and win by a head.

“It was a muddling run race, so to get home the way she did was a good effort,” Hunter said.

“Hopefully she’ll get over a bit further and take the next step.”