Idle Flyer has outshone a field packed with talent to deliver trainer Matthew Smith his second Queen Of The Turf Stakes victory in an exciting edition of the Group One event.
As expected, the front-running Pride Of Jenni set a blistering pace, stretching the opposition and creating a genuine 1600-metre test.
Zac Lloyd held Idle Flyer in fourth place, and right when runner-up Lady Shenandoah looked set to collar the leader, Lloyd and Idle Flyer surged forward to nab victory by three-quarters of a length.
Treasurethe Moment grabbed third spot, a further three-quarters of a length back, with Smith noting that securing a feature race during The Championships justified the early mornings and extended hours of his profession.
“It’s what you get up in the mornings for. It means everything,” Smith said.
“I just can’t believe she’s won. I knew she was going good, but I didn’t think she’d win that. We’ll take it.”
Smith devised a strategy to aim Idle Flyer at the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) following her triumph in the Angst Stakes at the same track and distance during the spring.
Following a minor hiccup at the beginning of her preparation, he needed to make up ground, but Idle Flyer showed she was firing again with her recent Emancipation Stakes (1500m) win.
“Every now and then one lands, and she landed today,” Smith said.
“She has run a strong mile here, and you need to run a strong mile to win these good mile races. You need to be able to run further, probably.
“When she won last time in over the mile we thought this is the race for her, it was just a matter of getting her here fit and well.”
Lloyd has forged a remarkable connection with Idle Flyer, riding her eight times for seven successes.
The jockey who won the Golden Slipper timed Saturday’s contest to perfection, settling behind Cox Plate placegetter Treasurethe Moment before unleashing at the right moment.
“Fantastic to win on her. I love her as a horse, and that shows in our record together,” Lloyd said.
“For her to go into that race, it was a proper horse race against the best milers in the country, they’ve got a proper horse on their hands.
“I got a lovely run today in behind Lady Shenandoah and Treasurethe Moment, and I was in the perfect spot at the 600, and my horse delivered.”
Smith indicated Idle Flyer might head to Brisbane, with her team eyeing a possible run in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in June.
It marked the trainer’s second success in the Queen Of The Turf Stakes, coming after Nimalee’s win four years earlier.
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