Pomelo, ridden by Chad Lever, never looked in danger when she surged to a 2-½ length win in the $150,000 Provincial Championships qualifier which had been transferred from last Wednesday’s Gosford meeting.

It sealed the mare’s spot in the final field to be held on April 8, with Kembla trainer Kerry Parker also qualifying his first runner after Heavenly Anna ran on well for second.

Pomelo had been victorious at her last two starts heading into the qualifier and was the $2.50 TAB fixed odds favourite to win the heat. Markwell was delighted with the win.

“She has certainly done a good job hasn’t she,” she told Sky Thoroughbred Central. 

“Her races have been spaced and with the wet weather she has missed out on a jump out and a trial in between but she has had a couple of gallops on the course proper. They have been good to us and that certainly helped her today.”

Markwell, who is leading the Kembla premiership, plans to keep Pomelo’s preparation light heading into the final next month where she is now the $5 favourite to win the race.

“Her races have been spaced all the way through so she copes with not a lot of training,” she said.

“She is a not a big, heavy mare. When you do trot on a canter her, she works very hard in herself. She keeps herself pretty fit.”