KEY POINTS:
Gold Edition will race at home after landing her second Group One victory in the Manikato Stakes at Melbourne's Moonee Valley.
Toowoomba trainer Ron Maund was not at Moonee Valley, but owner Kevin O'Brien echoed Maund's sentiments that the athletic grey daughter of Lion Hunter should stay in Australia.
"She won't be going overseas, definitely not," O'Brien said. "We're not going to knock her around."
Sent out favourite at A$3.20, Gold Edition jumped brilliantly for Queensland jockey Stathi Katsidis who was having his first ride in Melbourne. The 4-year-old led all the way to score by a long neck from South Australian mare Vormista with Wangaratta sprinter Dr Nipandtuck three-quarters of a length away third.
"I was riding her along just inside the 300 metres, but once she straightened and balanced up I was confident she would win," said Katsidis who has now won four Group One races.
Katsidis was having his first ride on Gold Edition, having replaced the suspended Damien Oliver. He is likely to retain the mount.
Katsidis is also the rider of stablemate Ice Chariot who will run in either the Group One Underwood Stakes (1800m) or the Listed Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield next Saturday.
Maund's stable foreman Neville Saunders said Gold Edition could be freshened up for the Group Two Schillaci Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on October 13 before she races twice at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week.
Maund has earmarked the Group Two Salinger Stakes (1200m) on November 3 and the Group One Classic (1200m) a week later.
Mares have a great record in the Manikato in recent years with seven wins in the feature sprint over the past decade, the others being Dane Ripper (1998), Sunline (2000), Piavonic (2001), Spinning Hill (2002-03) and Miss Andretti (2006).
Runner-up Vormista and third placegetter Dr Nipandtuck both ran on strongly while Darwin sprinter Undue ran his usual honest race to finish fourth.
Universal Queen weakened to finish fifth. Gold Edition's first Group One win was in the Ascot Vale Stakes (1200m) at Flemington last spring and yesterday's success was her 16th in 33 starts and took her prizemoney past A$2.9 million.
- AAP
