Gollan filly makes flying return to cast shadow over spring features

Top Queensland trainer Tony Gollan was not ruling out anything, including the $20 million Everest, for flying filly Pembrey after she dominated the group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) under a hands-and-heels ride on Saturday at Randwick.

The Magic Night Stakes winner, which then finished 14th in the Golden Slipper from a horror draw, returned in the opening leg of the Princess Series for three-year-old fillies and was never threatened, running 1:08.74 on a soft 5 surface.

James McDonald took her to the lead from gate nine and she kicked clear at the top of the straight, beating Bangkok Hottie by 2½ lengths as McDonald eased her down before the finishing line.

Gollan was looking to the next legs of the Princess Series – the Furious (1200m), Tea Rose and Flight Stakes (1600m) – and said he hadn’t thought about striving for a slot in the 1200m Everest on October 17 with the Kia Ora-owned talent. Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising is a $1.50 favourite to win the Everest again. No runners have been confirmed for the race.

“I’ll think about anything with her, but look, I’ll just let the dust settle on this,” Gollan said of the Everest.

“My plan has been the Princess Series. I’ve been really keen to get her to 1400, but anything is an option.

“Would I want a three-year-old filly to take on the good horse from Hong Kong? Probably not, but the Kia Ora team, they’ll have their opinion on everything as well.

Seven-year-old mare Midnight In Tokyo made it a feature, front-running double for Queensland trainers in the next, holding out Soothsayer in the group 3 Show County Quality (1200m).

Rookie trainer Todd Pollard, a former Brisbane foreman for Annabel Archibald who started his own stable in February, said the group 2 Sheraco Stakes on September 12 at Rosehill could be a next target for Midnight In Tokyo.

Matt Smith thanked the owners of six-year-old Prima Bella for their patience after the mare fought back late to win the group 3 Toy Show Quality in her first black-type start.

The Warwick Farm trainer feared Prima Bella, coming off 1000m benchmark 78 and 88 wins, would be overhauled late in the 1100m race against group 1 performers, but she was the strongest at the finish, beating Stardom by a long head after the Tulloch Lodge mare had hit the lead inside the last 200m. Resuming group 1-winning favourite Apocalyptic came from well back to finish third.

Kerrin McEvoy raced Prima Bella outside leader Gatwick and her superior fitness proved telling. Smith was now looking for more stakes targets for Prima Bella, who had overcome setbacks, including a year off with bone chips.

“We had a few preps there where things weren’t going that great and they could have easily pulled the pin, but I’m glad they stuck with her.

“I think when horses get really fit, they can maybe do things they can’t do early in their preparations. You just have to make it run so that the better horses were vulnerable with the weight, and Kerrin rode it beautifully.”