BALLARAT-based trainers are celebrating one of the greatest days of racing in the history of the training facility at Miners Rest with a Group one, a Group one and two near misses at Caulfield Stakes Day on Saturday.
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The best was saved for the last race of the day when the Mitchell Freedman-trained Attrition won a thrilling Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m), his first major as a trainer.
Attrition started as an outsider, but in a perfectly-timed ride from Beau Mertens, the four-year-old swooped down the middle of the track to hit the lead on the post to score a win by just a head from Antino.
Freedman noted that it was perhaps fitting that the tight photo finish between Attrition and the boom Queensland galloper went his way, given how close he's come in major races previously.
"I've had, I think, three seconds in Group 1s before today and it is so good to get over the line because we have been nutted a few times," Freedman told racing.com after the race.
"We always knew he was up to the level. He was very disappointing last start. Back to handicap, aided by a brilliant ride by a jockey that is well and truly on the rise. How good."
Earlier, Henry Dwyer's sprinting mare Asfoora also showed she was a genuine Group 1 horse after an effortless win in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m).
Just two weeks after a gallant second to Kiwi superstar Imperartriz in the Group 1 Moir Stakes, who won in race-record time at Moonee Valley, The Miners Rest-trained Asfoora was untroubled in defeating a small, but quality field.
Dwyer this week resisted the temptation to chase the big money in Sydney at The Everest, which was worth $20 million to winner, instead focusing on Melbourne sprint races. Any concerns he would have had about her getting a 1200m trip would surely now be put to bed after the ease of Saturday's victory.
He told The Courier, he now has a decision to make as to where she goes next, potentially chasing her first Group 1 at Flemington at the end of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, where she is likely to once again run into Imperetriz.
He said the win over another rival who has two wins over Asfoora gave him confidence his mare was at peak form.
"He'd (Uncommon James) eyeballed her the whole way, I thought he might have been too strong, but he cracked first and she just kept going," he said.
"Assuming she'll pull up well, she'll run at something over the Melbourne Cup Carnival now.
"My gut feel is over 1200m Imperetriz will probably have the wood on her, so maybe we might look at a slightly weaker race, but the way she went, the Champions Sprint at the end of the carnival could be an option, we'll have to work things out."
On top of those results, the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace Stable continued their outstanding run of Group 1 success with Griff winning the feature race the Caulfield Stakes (1600m).
While Griff is not trained on the track, fellow Ballarat trainers Calvin and Tony McEvoy can consider themselves incredibly unlucky to run second with Veight after the colt copped a big check from the winner in the shadows of the post.
The trainer's opted not to protest the final result, deciding that the interference was too close to the post to alter the race result.
Ballarat Turf Club chief executive Belinda Glass said it was a thrilling day for all local trainers.
"It's an amazing result, it's great to have that class of horses coming out of Ballarat again," she said.
"To see Asfoora get a win, then for Mitch Freedman to get his first Group 1 since he's been at Ballarat is such a wonderful result.
"I'm super proud for all of them and for Mitch to get a Group 1, it's just amazing for the stable, we're really proud of all of them."
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