San Rafaella strode to victory in a slick mile time of 1min 54.8sec in last night's AON Insurance Equine Stakes at Winton.
The time was 0.7sec outside the open-track record jointly held by Nuclear Byrd and Ohoka Texas. San Rafaella also went within 0.5sec of Hannah's record for mares
San Rafaella raced wide without cover from the 800m and went clear near the finish to score by one and a-half lengths from Supreme Gem and Jumpforjoy third. Driver Craig Thornley said San Rafaella felt relaxed and received a ''good tow into the race'' between the 1200m and 800m.
''I didn't need to go for the ear plugs until half way down,'' Thornley said.
Halswell trainer Steve McRae was delighted with the mare's courageous win, her sixth from 10 starts.
''She didn't do much early and I knew she would keep trucking,'' McRae said.
''But, it did surprise me how she passed those other two (Supreme Gem and Jumpforjoy) because they are quality mares.''
The Roxburgh Cup on Thursday is San Rafaella's next target.
Stablemate Jolene Franco justified her favouritism in the Gibson-Smith Bloodstock Fillies and Mares' Pace. She drew the inside of the second line for the mobile mile and worked clear early in the run home.
''We followed Kirk (Larsen, driver) across the top and managed to push out on the turn,'' Thornley said.
''She hit the front and knocked off.''
McRae might start Jolene Franco at Roxburgh as a prelude to the Nevele R Fillies' Heat at Ascot Park on January 28.
''From the moment she was broken in, she's been the pick of them (fillies). She's kept stepping up,'' McRae said of the 3-year-old daughter of Falcon Seelster and Jazz Franco.
Jag's Invasion gave Dunedin couple Craig and Raewyn Ross instant success as owners at Winton yesterday.
The 4-year-old trotter is their first racehorse. They and Robin Smith, also of Dunedin, bought into the ownership six weeks ago. Jag's Invasion's previous trainer, Denise Swain, sold her share to the trio and that resulted in the gelding transferring to Oamaru trainer Phil Williamson a month ago.

San Rafaella strode to victory in a slick mile time of 1min 54.8sec in last night's AON Insurance Equine Stakes at Winton. The time was 0.7sec outside the open-track record jointly held by Nuclear Byrd and Ohoka Texas. San Rafaella also went within
He spent 15 months working in Texas with the Volunteers In Service To America Program. Upon his return home to the North Shore, he went to work as assistant director of the Hogan Vocational Center in Danvers, a residential program for the physically

As Don Majkowski was a one-year wonder in 1989, Flynn is a one-game wonder (two if you count last year's game against New England), and at the present time a better insurance policy than Rodgers could ever get from State Farm. And to emphasize again,
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