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Awapuni mare Miss Appleton might be a one trick pony, but not for the first time that was more than enough to fool her rivals on her home turf on Saturday.
The six-year-old is at her dashing best when allowed to make the running and she again took up her customary role in front to burn off the open sprinters under apprentice Tim Johnson in the Courtesy Ford Redcraze Bowl.
It was Miss Appleton’s sixth career victory, her fourth on the Palmerston North course, but her first in seven attempts at 1400 metres.“I said to Tim to run it like a 1200 metre race, there were some nice horses behind her and I wanted them to have to carry their weight,” said trainer Gary Vile, who had also produced Rock On to win earlier in the day.
It was a plan that unfolded perfectly with Miss Appleton revelling in her work and she never looked like stopping in the straight, running the trip out strongly to score by a length and three-quarters.“She’s the nicest mare in the world to train – she just wants to eat and to work,” Vile said.
Salamanca chased Miss Appleton all the way, but giving the winner six kilos was beyond him while the runner-up’s stablemate Ringo, who gave the mare eight and a half kilos, came from last to take third money.The Michael Breslin-trained pair are in the mix for the upcoming New Zealand Cup carnival at Riccarton where Ringo is currently the joint $6.50 second favourite with Battle Time behind the $5.50 market leader Thee Auld Floozie for the Gr.2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile.