Late bloomer may be set for better things after Group 2 triumph
A CRACK at the elite level beckons for Geelong’s Mamzelle Tess following the biggest win of her career at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
The rising eight-year-old took out the $200,000 Group 2 Sunline Stakes at long odds, continuing her excellent form in the twilight of her career.
The half-length victory gave the Leon and Troy Corstens-trained mare the eighth win of her career to go with 20 placings from 47 starts.
“She’s just been such an honest mare,” Troy said.
“She’s always around (the mark) but she’s probably not just quite good enough at times.
“What she lacks for in ability she makes up for in heart.”
Mamzelle Tess has finished no worse than fourth in her past six starts and paid $23.60 for the win.
Corstens, who has a satellite stable in Geelong, revealed she was at the crossroads of her career last year.
“I spoke to Margaret Naismith, who’s the major owner … and she was talking about selling her,” he said.
“I said, ‘I don’t think we’re going to get that much for her’.
“She’s only got a very plain pedigree and at the time she was stakes-placed but I thought she was probably going to earn more by racing her than you were by selling her.
“Sometimes you get it right, sometimes you get it wrong but luckily we got it right this time.
“She’s now a Group 2 winner and her value has gone up in a marked way.”
Corstens said she could now be set for the Robert Sangster Stakes in Adelaide or the Tatts Tiara at Brisbane’s Eagle Farm — both at Group 1 level.
However, she may have had her last run for some time following yesterday’s travel bans.
States around the country are set to shut their borders.
“It won’t hurt her to have three or four weeks between runs now,” he said.
“Whether we freshen her up and have another crack at the Sangster (Stakes) or possibly head to Queensland.”
Corstens said the team would take time to decide her next move but was leaning towards the Tatts Tiara in June.
Mamzelle Tess was crowned Geelong’s racehorse of the year in 2019.