On Display was heavily backed for her first-up run at Caulfield on Saturday and showed punters why, cutting loose late for an eye-catching victory under Ben Melham.
Resuming in Benchmark 78 grade after winning the Listed Adelaide Guineas with ease last start, On Display had to carry 60.5kg fresh, but continued to firm, starting $3 off some very impressive jumpouts.
Ben Melham had to bide his time on the inside of Blake Shinn and second elect Gala Queen ($4.40), but his mount surged into the race once clear and continued to build on straightening.
Shadhavar ($4.50) kicked well in the straight, but Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr’s mare was more than up for the challenge and Melham felt she always had the race in her keeping once she got to the outside.
“She actually took a step backwards as the barriers opened, but I just couldn’t panic,” Melham said.
“I found myself in a bit of an awkward position, and I had Blake (Shinn) obviously on the main danger (Gala Queen) to my outside and I could see him keeping a casual eye on me.
“So, I just had to bide my time and let her find her feet and trust the horse, she’d shown she’d improved this preparation and matured as a mare, her trials suggested that.
“She had a big weight, and I was mindful of having to pick them up into the headwind with a big weight, but I was able to just extricate off the fence, I just had to let Blake go.
“(But) once she got to the outside, she was very impressive.”
Price said the next step will likely be the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes, with the G1 Empire Rose potentially awaiting from there.
On Display should arguably already have a G2 honour when luckless in the Queen Of The South earlier this year, but she looks more than capable of reaching, winning and surpassing that grade this campaign.
“She’s a good mare and she is in for a good campaign. I was happy to kick-off there and I think from here we will go to the Let’s Elope (in) two weeks,” Price said.
“There’s a big circle around the Empire Rose. The obligation is to get the black type all the time, but this was just a nice kick-off point here.
“She’s a very smart mare; I’ve never underestimated her. She should have won the G2 in Adelaide and (if she did) I would not have run her again.
“But I just felt the owners were a bit short on what she should have achieved, so hence the Listed race over there.”