Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Bonny mare Miss Boudica bounced back to her best form with an emphatic victory in the Garrard’s Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday evening which was a strong indication that she should be a leading candidate for the $50,000 WASBA Breeders Stakes on May 5.
The five-year-old had managed just one win from her past 21 starts for Coolup trainer Michael Brennan. However, a recent third to Simply Shaz and an excellent fifth behind Simply Shaz in the Empress Stakes the previous Friday were strong indicators that another win was not far away.
Miss Boudica, the sole runner on the back line in Friday’s race, was a $11.90 chance and was $16 on the fixed market. Chris Voak was content to have Miss Boudica racing in fifth position, three back on the pegs, while New South Wales mare and the $2.80 second favourite Machs Legacy at her West Australian debut was setting the pace and was kept under pressure by the $1.65 favourite Nevermindthechaos.
Miss Boudica was still fifth 450m from home before Voak eased her into the clear and she finished solidly to take the lead in the final 15m and win by almost a length from Machs Legacy, with Nevermindthechaos a half-length farther back in third place.
“She was terrific, and I was very impressed with her performance,” said Voak. “She was a very good three-year-old before losing her way a bit. And before the race Michael (Brennan) said that she would go well.”
The Victorian-bred Miss Boudica is by Mach Three and is out of the Caprock mare Our Jingle Belle Rock, the dam of eight other winners, including the New Zealand-bred Bettor Rock On, who earned $442,173 from 40 wins and 64 placings from 208 starts. Bettor Rock On won once from eleven starts in Western Australia in 2015 before continuing his career in America.