Smart Bride chases winter honeymoon
CLASSY Gold Coast mare Winter Bride is set to take the next step up the stakes order in the Group 2 Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm tomorrow.
The Victory Stakes dates back 40 years when it was run over 1400m and named the Sir Byrne Hart Stakes and it has been being notorious for providing some huge upsets.
However, since it was switched to 1200m and moved to the start of the winter carnival, it has been good for Queensland-trained winners with nine of the 13 runnings
going to locals. It has also been a launching pad for good horses with four of the past 10 winners later winning Group 1 races.
Trainer Toby Edmonds is hopeful Winter Bride can carry on the trend when the
mare takes on superstar Redzel tomorrow.
Winter Bride has been a model of consistency since being sent north from NSW to join Edmonds’ Gold Coast stables in late 2017.
She has had 15 starts for Edmonds which have reaped eight wins and five placings.
The Segenhoe Studowned Winter Bride has gone from winning a Gold Coast Class 1 to winning three Group 3 races – the How Now Stakes and Northwood Plume Stakes at Caulfield last year and the Wenona Girl Quality at Randwick on March 9.
Edmonds is confident Winter Bride is ready to go up the ladder to take on Group 1 races against all comers.
“She has shown she is capable against some of the best mares in Australia and she just keeps on improving,” Edmonds said. “She was a bit weak early in her career and has improved each campaign.
“If you look at her record she has performed well last winter, then the spring and now the autumn. Not many horses can do that.”
Winter Bride is by top sire Not A Single Doubt and is already a broodmare prospect but Edmonds believes her value would sky rocket with a Group 1 win.
Redzel, the winner of two Everests and two Group 1 races, worked strongly on Tuesday morning in preparation for tomorrow’s race.