Filly closes campaign on top note

Precocious youngster Prom Queen has ended her two-year-old season as emphatically as she started it.

The dashing daughter of Super Easy was an easy debut winner in the spring and at Riccarton yesterday she again left her rivals struggling in her wake in the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes.

In between times, Prom Queen won three further races, including the Listed Welcome Stakes and was placed from four appearances.

“I’ve heard the knockers say she hasn’t beaten anything but she’s run the times and she hasn’t got anything to prove,” said Ken Rae who trains in partnership with his wife Lisa and their daughter Krystal Williams.

“This was her grand final and she’s going home now for a spell.”

As she has done with impressive regularity, Prom Queen jumped to the lead and when asked for an effort in the straight by rider Alysha Collett she moved smoothly into overdrive.

“She has just kept lifting,” Rae said. “She’s got untapped ability and has done everything right.”

Prom Queen was tracked by Cousteau to the turn before the flying filly smoothly moved into overdrive and she won easing down by five and a quarter lengths.

“The step up to 1200 metres wasn’t a concern and she was doing it easily in the last 200 metres,” Collett said. “Once she gets balanced she starts to wind up again.”

While Prom Queen has showed great pace in her races to date, Rae is confident she will be competitive at a mile in next season’s group one New Zealand 1000 Guineas.

“She’s got a lot of improvement in her and I’ve said all along the Guineas will be the target for her,” Rae said. “We never have to slow her down in her work and she goes along at whatever speed you want.”