Camilleri Magic As Fever Wins Millions
- Sunday, 13 February 2011 00:14
The Karrakatta Plate is on the cards for quality filly Western Fever after she zoomed home to win the $251,600 Magic Millions Perth 2YO Classic (1200m) at Ascot yesterday.
Courtesy of a faultless rail hugging ride from Lucas Camilleri, Western Fever was able to reel in the favourite Night War who nosed out Internationalist and Velvet Assassin in a busy finish.
So fast was the Flying Pegasus filly finishing against the rail she held an increasing length and a quarter margin over her rivals.
Raced by a large team of locals, Western Fever earned her place in the field when she scored an impressive win at Pinjarra late last month.
The filly is trained at Lark Hill by David Harrison - a horseman who not surprisingly was thrilled with the victory.
"It's fantastic," Harrison said.
"It was a good win the other day (at Pinjarra) and she still did a few things wrong but she won well and she could have won by further."
"Lucas rode her a treat," he added.
"She's been a bit wayward the last couple of starts. Being covered up like that against the paint was great and once she got the run there she sprinted through."
"I thought she did it really well at the end (of the race)," Harrison added.
"The race experience held her in good stead today and we've picked up some good money."
"I don't like giving two-year-olds too many runs in their first prep but its only a month to the Karrakatta and she'll tell us in the feed bin tonight."
"If she's well we'll push on to there, if not she can go straight to the paddock," Harrison summed up.
Winning rider Lucas Camillieri told connections after the race that he was always confident of winning after turning for home.
"The run was always going to come - it was just a matter of waiting," Camilleri said. "She was also travelling well."
The Group Two $500,000 Karrakatta Plate will be run at Ascot over 1200 metres on March 19.
While Western Fever cruised home by over a length, the judge had his work out splitting the second, third and fourth placegetters.
In the end, the race favourite Night War held on for second - a nose ahead of Internationalist, with fourth placegetter Velvet Assassin another breath back in third place.
A $26,000 purchase by part owner Ryan Fuller from the draft of Alwyn Park at last year's Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, Western Fever has already earned her connections over $155,000.
Western Fever is a fdirst crop daughter of the exciting young Western Australian based sire Flying Pegasus.
She is from the three time winning Honour and Glory mare Western Sunset.
Western Sunset, who is from the WA Oaks winner Reflected Image, is a half sister to the stakes winner New Image.
Western Fever's third dam Superb Prospect was a stakes winner in the United Stakes and other members of the family include Eastern States stakes winners Stormcat Academy and Facile Tigre and Malaysian star Fighter Jet.
