Gwenda Markwell was concerned about even running Mandylion in Saturday’s Provincial Championships qualifier at Kembla Grange, but the top trainer now has a legitimate contender to win it all.
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The lightly-raced three-year-old defied the older horses with an emphatic all the way win under the urging of Jess Taylor to book her spot in next month’s $500,000 final at Royal Randwick.
Taylor, who only got a late call-up to ride Mandylion, went straight to the front out of the barriers before Markwell’s filly fought off all challengers to score by a length in the $150,000 heat.
Fellow Kembla trainer Mick Tubman’s Old Man Sam flashed home to grab second and book his place in the decider. But he never got close enough to truly test the winner.
Mandylion’s victory came at just her fourth career start and was just eight days after the filly ran a credible sixth in the Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m).
It completed remarkable training performance by Kembla’s master horsewoman, who had feared she could be overloading her rising star too early in her career.
"My biggest concern was a three year old filly competing against older-seasoned horses. It is very hard for them to do that. Now I know she is good,” Markwell said.
"She is a nice filly.
"She ticks every box. That's the best I have ever seen her come out of the gates.
"She came to the races today and she just looked so good.
"I was a bit worried during the week that this might be too quick, but when I got her to the races her eyes were glowing.”
Mandylion is now a $15 fixed odds hope to take out the Provincial Championships final. She jumped at the same price at Kembla Grange and was given a peach of a ride by Taylor.
After Mandylion left the gates like a shot out of a gun, Taylor rated her to perfection at the tip of the field. The daughter of Nicconi kicked clear in the straight as most of her rivals struggling to stay in touch.
By the time the swooping runs came down the outside, she had already stolen a winning break. Old Man Sam ($10) rocketed home to finish a length back, edging out Kris Lees Tawfiq Boy for second.
"What a tough little filly," Taylor said.
"That is just her way. She just jumps and rolls along in front. She just stays tough.
"They came up to me at the top of the straight and I just never really thought like she was in doubt.
"She just kept giving and giving.
"I am really thankful for Gwenda for putting me on. It was a pick up ride that I just got late this morning."
Markwell is a good chance to get a second runner in the final field, with Pomelo sitting in the box seat to replace injured Kim Waugh galloper Uptown Lad as the highest rated fourth placegetter.
Meanwhile, Tubman was ecstatic with the performance of Old Man Sam on Saturday afternoon.
“It was a super run,” he said.
“They reckon he can’t run 1400m and I know he can’t handle the wet. He had a bad barrier too so there was a lot of negatives but Winona [Costin] knows he has got a 300m sprint. She rode him a treat.”
