Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Sweet Vivienne is noted for her sparkling gate speed — and Mitch Miller revved her up at the start of the 1730m Garrard’s Here On Track Pace for three-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
But though Sweet Vivienne was smartest into stride from the No. 4 barrier, she was unable to cross the polemarker Lucienne, and Miller then made the snap decision to restrain the filly, and he was able to switch her from her three-wide position to gain a favourable spot three back on the pegs.
Sweet Vivienne, the $3.60 second fancy, was locked up on the pegs in fifth position in the final circuit before Miller was able to ease her into the clear — and the filly finished strongly to take the lead 110m from home and go on and win by more than two lengths from the $3.50 favourite Sweet Ivy.
Sweet Ivy, a Pinjarra winner four days earlier at her second start, raced wide early and then in the breeze before taking a narrow lead approaching the home turn. But she was unable to sustain the effort after her hard run.
Sweet Vivienne, bred and trained by Paula Petricevich, has earned $47,389 from five wins and two placings from 14 starts. She is being set for the $50,000 Diamond Classic on May 19, and she is developing into a strong candidate for the $150,000 WA Oaks on October 13.