Pitt has a night to remember

MARK Pitt completed a winning quartet when he piloted short priced favorite Bay Of Biscay to an effortless win the $150,000 Alabar Bloodstock Nutrien Equine Classic (3YO Colts & Geldings) Final at Melton.

Bay Of Biscay ($1.07 fav) was allowed to bowl along of his own accord in the lead before throwing a 27.1 last 400 metres at his rivals to score by nine metres from NSW pacer Snakeskin.

Pitt conceded the race was Bay Of Biscay’s to lose.

“He was back in grade tonight and I thought his runs up at Menangle were pretty super, so I thought he just had to go around tonight,” Pitt said.

Pitt said it’s always satisfying to perform on feature race nights.

“These big races are the ones we all want to win and it’s been great that I’ve been able to win four on a night like tonight,” he said.

Talented NSW filly Lux Aeterna made it a one act affair scoring back to back wins in the $150,000 Woodlands Stud Nutrien Equine Classic (3YO Fillies) Final.

Sent out the $1.28 favorite, Lux Aeterna led comfortably from her favorable barrier and reeled off a 55.7 last 800 metres to post an easy 23 metre win from Thesunandthemoon and Ignite The Fire.

The same three horses filled the placings in last year’s 2YO Fillies Final.

Lux Aeterna had finished unplaced in the Bathurst Gold Bracelet Final and Riverina Oaks at her past two starts and it was a relieved trainer/driver Rickie Alchin who returned after the race.

“Just off the back of her last three runs it’s just good to see her back and she felt pretty good tonight,” Alchin said.

“And taking nothing away from the opposition, if she’s going to be competitive in the (NSW) Oaks next week then she had to win like that, it’s just very good to have her back,” he said.

Trainer Clayton Tonkin scooped the pool in the rich Alabar Bloodstock Nutrien Equine Classic (2YO) Finals.

The Tonkin prepared The Highlight Reel served notice he is a star of the future when he led most of the way in the $250,000 2YO Colts & Geldings Final.

The winner returned a slick mile rate of 1:54.7 for the 2240 metres.

The Highlight Reel is also raced by Tonkin and his partner Emma Stewart who purchased the son of Poster Boy for $10,000.

“It’s more special as Emma and I bought him at the sales and we never usually buy them outright ourselves,” Tonkin said.

Tonkin said he picked the horse out at the sales on his looks and demeanour.

“He had a personality, we love Poster Boy and to be perfectly honest he looks exactly like Poster Boy,” he said.

The Highlight Reel is now unbeaten in three career starts.

Earlier in the night the Tonkin prepared filly Miss Australiana emerged as a horse going places after scoring an impressive win in the $250,000 Nutrien Equine Classic (2YO Fillies) Final at Melton.

Mark Pitt made a mid-race move on Miss Australiana ($1.70 fav) to wrest the lead off stablemate Iveseenheavenslight and from then on the race was never in doubt with the daughter of Captaintreacherous scoring comfortably by four metres.

Pitt gave a rare salute as he crossed the line.

“It’s something that we want to win these races and there are a great bunch of people in this filly,” Pitt said.

Pitt said he was keen to make the mid-race sojourn around the field to find the front.

“She was getting a little bit strong so I wanted to get her out in the open a bit and as soon as I did she relaxed pretty well in front,” he said.

“I think she is a great filly, she seems to have a lot of speed and she seems pretty strong as well.”