Encipher on course for second Breeders Crown

By Michael Howard (HRV)

Encipher’s outstanding three-year-old season looks on path for more acclaim after a dominant semi-final performance and a peach of a draw.

Having already claimed a Breeders Crown for owner-breeder Tyson Linke in last year’s two-year-old final, Encipher looks well placed to repeat the dose for trainer Emma Stewart and driver Kate Gath in this Saturday night’s A Rocknroll Dance three-year-old fillies class.

The Captaintreacherous filly drew gate two, with only stablemate Amore Vita inside her, coincidentally the same pair who quinellaed last year’s final.

“That’s really encouraging,” Gath said of the draw. “She got off the gate better tonight too, so that’s a really good draw and I’m looking forward to it.”

Gath and Encipher made short work of tonight’s semi-final, sweeping to the front and then cruising for a good portion of the race before rattling home in a 55.2-second last half to win comfortably in a pegline dominated affair.

Nonparreil (leader’s back), Interject (three back the fence) and Diamond Shooz (four back the fence) filled the first four placings, while Amore Vita and Petillante filled out the top six to also advance.

The latter was driven by reinsman Mark Pitt and was his first unsuccessful steer of the night, having teamed with Stewart to win five of the previous six races.

That included winning with Soho Historia, who dominated the first three-year-old fillies semi-final to record a second successive win and ninth since crossing to the stable.

Last Saturday at Tabcorp Park Melton, she was able to stroll to the lead from gate four, cruising in front until she switched gear when Rickie Alchin (Soho Rhapsody) injected speed into the race on the final lap with a three-wide assault.

A 31.1-second second quarter was set alight by a 26.5-second third and, while some initially kept pace, the 27.2-second final quarter separated the leader from the pack, with Soho Historia saluting by 11.1 metres.

“She keeps stepping forward when the time counts,” Pitt said. “I was super impressed with her run tonight, I know she got an easy first half but she zipped home pretty quick and she was strong on the line.”

And he thinks she’ll be much better for the run.

“She did need the run a bit,” he said. “Her first up run in the heat was good, but tonight she needed a little bit of a blow without going over the top. I think that will top her off well for next week.”

Stablemate Beach Life followed the leader throughout to be next best, while Miss Chantilly emerged from traffic after sitting in the one-one to impressively fill out the placings. Miss Ex, Talk Time and Star Celebrity also advanced.

Unfortunately for Soho Historia her chances in the final weren’t helped at the barrier draw, plucking gate 11 and giving a significant advantage to her lead rivals.