Champion mare back in the winner’s stall

Champion racemare Ladies In Red (Mach Three) restored rightful order of proceedings after taking out the Richmond Lass Mares Free For All at Melton.

The Emma Stewart trained harness racing mare suffered a rare defeat at her previous start when narrowly beaten by Aardies Express in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth 11 Mile at Menangle.

Sent out a $1.22 favorite, Ladies In Red assumed the front running from her main danger Rakero Rebel inside the final lap of the race and was untroubled to score by three metres from that mare with First Dance a metre away third in a mile rate of 1:52.3.

Driver David Moran said Ladies In Red is inclined to conserve her energy on the racetrack.

“She’s pretty casual in front and she doesn’t really run away from them at electric speed and just does what she needs to do,” Moran said.

“And she didn’t have a complete gut buster first time back from Sydney which is good, she did it pretty easily and could have gone a lot quicker,” he said.

What a star! ⭐️

Millionaire mare Ladies In Red brings up her 26th career win and 15th success on her favourite track in the $25,000 Allied Express Richmond Lass Free-For-All for trainer Emma Stewart and driver David Moran at Melton tonight. pic.twitter.com/vpgkW68GNn

— The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) May 18, 2024

Ladies In Red is likely to head north for next month’s The Queensland Constellations where she will contest 150,000 Garrards The Golden Girl.

She will be at long odds on to maintain her unbeaten status at Albion Park having beaten the boys in the Group 1 The Rising Sun two years ago at her only start in the track.

For complete race results, click here.

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink