The Kembla trainer had bred the daughter of Lope De Vega herself and had every intention of continuing to condition the filly. 

But Ritchie knew those plans had to change after an ill-fated trip down to the Sapphire Coast.

"She got a bar on her for not loading. I just found it too hard on my own to try and get her in the gates to get her passed so I rang Jason and asked if he could take her for me for a while to try and sort her out,” Ritchie, who still part-owns Better Than Elle, said.

“He has done a wonderful job with her. She was very sick as a foal and was probably a bit spoiled so going up there has probably done her the world of good.

“It made her realise she is a racehorse and not a pet.”

That change has never been more evident than it was at Kembla Grange on Thursday. 

At just her fourth career start, and third for Coyle, Better Than Elle stormed down the outside to grab the Gwenda Markwell trained Stealthy in her final stride to claim the Nimaka Pty Ltd Maiden (1600m).

“That was great. I am really happy with that,” Ritchie said.

“I thought she would be looking to 1600m to 2000m, but to come out and do that was a great effort.”

Better Than Elle ($4.40) looked to be in a spot of bother when they rounded the turn after coming off the bit to chase. Stealthy ($2.50) had hit the front at the furlong pole, but looked vulnerable when the swoopers came.

Better Than Elle gathered up Markwell’s three-year-old in her final stride, with Robert and Luke Price’s High Potential ($2.70) in third. 

Jockey Andrew Gibbons admitted to having some concern in the run. 

“I went out with the hope that they would run along but it probably played against me a bit,” he said.

“They had me right off the bridle before we came into the straight. I thought she was going to run fourth. She has still got a lot to learn but has a good turn of foot.”

Gibbons finished the day with a double after later piloting the Kylie Gavenlock trained Nikkas ‘N’ A Twist to victory in the Anytime Fitness Albion Park & Shellharbour Benchmark 67 Handicap (1600m). 

While several of Sydney’s leading metropolitan riders made the trip down to Kembla, Jeff Penza showed why he remains the benchmark at the Illawarra Turf Club with another double. Penza booted home Muse at long odds for Noel Mayfield-Smith before guiding Kembla trainer Kerry Parker’s Porky Pies home in the last.