By MICHAEL GUERIN
It was one of those times Tony Herlihy was happy to be wrong.
The driving legend went into last night's $75,000 Great Northern Oaks concerned his charge English Elegance was not quite at her best.
But after a race of sensations the former southern filly emerged with the biggest win of her career, providing trainer Mark Purdon with a stable quinella.
"I thought her form and work had just been all right without being sensational in the last two weeks," said Herlihy.
"And she was racing against a top field of fillies so I wasn't that confident before the race.
"But that is the thing about good horses. They can always find that bit more and that is what she did tonight."
Herlihy played his usual major role in the win though, as he secured the all-important trail with the Camtastic filly.
To do that he had to win an early speed duel with favourite Shania Patron, which saw the two favourites charge out of the mobile.
Shania Patron, with the advantage of the inside running, appeared likely to hold the front as they roared around the first bend but she galloped and effectively lost all chance.
The incident prompted an inquiry and the stipendiary stewards spoke to both Herlihy and Shania Patron's driver Ricky May to ensure the favourite had broken of her own accord.
The two minute inquiry confirmed Shania Patron had been the culprit and was not interferred with by English Elegance, leaving Herlihy happy and punters burnt.
By winning that speed duel - albeit by default - English Elegance was able to lead from where Herlihy chose to hand the front to Mika, which meant he received the passing lane run in the straight.
That was enough to see English Elegance duck through and hold out the game run of Braeside Star, with Mika a game third in only her fourth career start.
The result meant that the three legs of the Fillies' Triple Crown have been won by different horses - Like An Atom having taken out the Ladyship Stakes, Shania Patron the Sires Stakes Fillies' Final and English Elegance the Oaks.
That further confuses an already even battle for 3-year-old filly honours and left the feeling that perhaps the best 3-year-old filly in New Zealand has not been seen yet this season - with last season's Caduceus Club Classic winner Tiger Turner being set for the later classics.
While English Elegance was the star of the show, Horse of the Night honours went to another filly, the gutsy debutante Elect To Live.
The Neil Brady-trained filly did the almost unheard of by beating older fillies and mares in her first start as a juvenile, outstaying some handy types in a 2:0.4 mile.
Her effort to beat the likes of Vert Et Blanc and A Little More Magic, both of whom have been racing against the best 3-year-old fillies, suggested Elect To Live has a huge season ahead.
But Brady will resist the temptation to take on the freshman colts at Cambridge next Friday and will wait for the first juvenile filly event.
"She is very smart but those colts went 1:57.5 here last time and could even go faster at Cambridge."
Racing: Filly not at best but good enough
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