A well-rated ride and powerful performance by the Leon & Troy Corstens-trained Yes Baby Yes saw the filly prove her mile credentials with a big Cox Plate Day win in the 2020 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic.
The nicely-bred daughter of Dissident gave nothing else a chance in this year’s edition of the Group 2 $300,000 Lexus Fillies Classic (1600m) at The Valley leading all-the-way and thrashing her rivals sprinting away in the set weights event.
Securing her second career win and first since a maiden at Seymour back in July as a juvenile, Yes Baby Yes improved on her lead-up second from Caulfield Cup Day.
She went back up to a mile having run three lengths back sixth to Thermosphere earlier this prep at Flemington in the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) and showed a liking for Moonee Valley.
Relishing the cut out of the ground, Yes Baby Yes crossed to lead from the consistent Miss Inbetween in the early stages as the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Incredulous Dream settled third the fence.
Race favourite was the Mick Huxtable-trained Ecumenical, the classy grey last seen running fourth in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas and settled fourth the outside in the Fillies Classic.
Ecumenical began to improve around the turn, but at the 250m Williams still hadn’t moved on the front-runner.
Yes Baby Yes ($13) started to really get going at the 100m leading by three or four lengths and bolted away to hit the like strongly nearly four lengths ahead of the beaten favourite Ecumenical ($2.05) who got up into second, but was no match for the winner.
In third rounding out the Moonee Valley Fillies Classic trifecta was the eye-catching $21 roughie Miss Inbetween who held for a placing off her on-speed run.
The Moonee Valley Fillies Classic result saw Williams secure his 22nd Cox Plate Carnival victory moving him into the second most successful hoop of all-time surpassing Roy Higgins and now trailing only Damien Oliver.
“I was really lucky it’s all her heart and all her will, full credit for her and her training combinations,” Williams said post-win.
“She’s been up for a long time, they backed-up in seven days’ time they were that confident and she delivered so good girl.
“She was really good today.”
2020 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic Results
Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 | YES BABY YES | Leon & Troy Corstens | Craig Williams | 5 | 57kg | $13 | |||
2 | 2 | ECUMENICAL | Mick Huxtable | John Allen | 3.75L | 9 | 57kg | $2.05F | ||
3 | 3 | MISS INBETWEEN | Michael Mehegan | William Pike | 5.75L | 4 | 57kg | $21 | ||
4 | 10 | LA MARSA | Michelle Payne | Ms Michelle Payne | 6.5L | 8 | 57kg | $26 | ||
5 | 9 | MISS MADEC | Ben Brisbourne | Lewis German (a) | 7.5L | 6 | 57kg | $51 | ||
6 | 8 | MUSSENPHERE | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | Mark Zahra | 7.7L | 7 | 57kg | $19 | ||
7 | 5 | QUEEN OF ROCKS | Tom Dabernig & Ben Hayes | Kerrin McEvoy | 11.7L | 2 | 57kg | $31 | ||
8 | 1 | THERMOSPHERE | James Cummings | Damian Lane | 13.95L | 3 | 57kg | $3.60 | ||
9 | 4 | INCREDULOUS DREAM | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Ben Melham | 15.95L | 1 | 57kg | $7.50 | ||
7 | MISS CONDUCT | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Jye McNeil | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.