Pelonomena Races Away
She wasn't in front, then she was, then she wasn't, then she was.
Drawn awkwardly in a small field at Sandown on Wednesday afternoon, promising mare Pelonomena was outside the leaders during the early stages of the 2100m BM78 contest - and by the 1600m she was in front.
But then original leader Stormy Shore fired up a bit, putting his nose in front for a short time. Coming to the turn Pelonomena was again in the lead but others were challenging and she was again passed.
But then, as she straightened she gave a kick - and what a kick it was, the four-year-old getting further in front with each stride, her winning margin an impressive 2 1/4 lengths.
Ridden for the first time by Jamie Kah, Pelonomena was rising in class off a 1 1/2 length victory over the same trip at BM64 level at Echuca, the strength and style of her second successive win (and her third from her last four starts) suggested that she will relish even longer trips.
Which is, as Mitch said, "she is bred to do."
A home-bred for John Richards (pictured with his Melbourne Cup trophy won by Prince Of Penzance) the daughter of Melbourne Cup hero Americain is out of a mare by Galileo so she certainly has the right stamina mix and ground is certainly her go.
"She is definitely a genuine stayer," Mitch said, admitting to feeling a bit concerned at certain stages during the race, hoping that Pelonomena would be given her head earlier in order to make it a real staying test.
"But she picked up and sprinted away from them well."
Plans are up in the air for Pelonomena those a rise in distance is on the cards - "I am not sure how high we raise the bar," said Mitch, "but she has got a nice staying future."
"She doesn't hold a lot of condition which is something we are aware of, we don't work her too hard - she has had just the one spin around Ballarat since her Echuca win."
Kah was impressed by Pelonomena's willingness to come back underneath her - "early I thought they were going to crawl and I didn't want to drag her back so I just sat on her and she got there very easily."
"At the turn she just had a lapful of running left, she settles so well and has a sprint at the end - she will get 2500m plus."
"As soon as I gave her a click," she continued, "she just shot away and just kept improving - I didn't even have to pull the stick on her, it was easy."
The winner of four of her 13 starts, Pelonomena is the fourth foal and fourth winner produced the lightly raced Gal who won two of her seven starts including her finale, a showcase Class 1 event over 1500m at Ballarat in late 2008.
Also dam of the metropolitan winner Penryn Pearl and the city placed To Do, Gals was served last spring by Artie Schiller with her two foals since Pelonomena being the unraced three-year-old Noodle (by Artie Schiller) and a yet to be named yearling filly by Anacheeva.
A descendant of the famed matriarch Selene, Pelonomena is a granddaughter of a half-sister to the stakes placed Benediction, dam of the champion Might And Power. She can also boast her relations the big race winners Lucky Owners, Mosheen and Beauty Parlour.