What a joy it has been having a front row seat to the rise and rise of harness racing’s Ladies In Red (Mach Three).
It was almost a year ago I started to think she was the best filly (or mare) Australia had seen since Tailamade Lombo 20 years ago.
Just the way she continued to defy the odds, win from anywhere and smash the clock with sectional times.
She has always been as strong as she is fast and we should have known that would stand her in good stead when she took on the boys, which she did so successfully for the first time in last Saturday nightās $305,000 Group 1 Rising Sun at Albion Park.
We also should have known when Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin confirmed the trip north a couple of months back that it showed how highly they rated her. I mean, they virtually never take horses to Queensland.
Then I heard it with my own ears.
Stewart and Tonkin kindly let me visit the stable a couple of weeks ago with a crew to film a feature story on Ladies In Red.
She wasnāt a standout in the stable (sheās only small), was largely treated like all the rest and waited her turn to head onto the track on a slow jog day.
Once she jogged, had been washed down and was back in her stall, Stewart and Tonkin joined us for a chat.
I have done a few of these before and most of the time you pretty much know how theyāll go ā¦ but not this one.
Tonkin truly shocked me halfway through when asked just how good she was he said āsheās the best weāve trained”.
Think about that. It wasnāt that long ago injury cutdown Ride High in his prime. Theyāve also had stars like Poster Boy, Guaranteed and many others.
I wasnāt the only one shocked ā¦ well, surprised at least.
Stewart didnāt agree with Tonkin.
āThis is something we argue about at home,ā Tonkin said. āI think sheās the best because sheās just so dominant and turns up every start and delivers.ā
Stewart countered: āI want to see how she goes against the boys first. Itās a big call to say sheās the best weāve had, weāve had some great ones.ā
Ladies In Redās demolition job last Saturday ā running away from a stellar field to win by almost 12 metres ā was all the convincing Stewart needed.
āIād have to agree now,ā she smiled after the win.
LADIES IN RED REPLAY
Driver Nathan Jack added: āSheās something else and sheās only knee-high to a grasshopper ā¦ she makes great horses almost look second-rate.ā
But it was owner-breeder Bill Anderson who summed it up best: āSheās something special and the sport needs champions like her.ā
HRV CEO Dayle Brown remarked after the win: āShe just might be the horse harness racing has been waiting for.ā
Excitingly, Anderson and his wife, Anne, intend to race Ladies In Red for another couple of seasons providing she holds her form.
āWeāve got enough broodmares,ā Bill laughed.
Anderson unashamedly credited Amazing Dreamās win as a four-year-old mare in the inaugural Rising Sun last year as the inspiration for sending Ladies In Red north.
āIt was Anne who said if Amazing Dream could win it last year, we had to give Ladies In Red her chance,ā Bill said.
Ladies In Red headlined a remarkable night for Victorians at Albion Park.
Her stablemate Maajida won the Group 3 Fleur Del Lil; Jess Tubbsā Triple Eight flew home to win the Group 3 Mr Feelgood and Matty Cravenās Better Isolate blew his rivals away in the Rising Sun Consolation.
For complete results, click here.
byĀ Adam Hamilton, for HRV