Racing: Kiwi mare game but Lotteria has too much class

Miss Potential showed her characteristic tenacity but was just downed by the smart Gai Waterhouse-trained Lotteria in the Group One Myer Classic at Flemington yesterday.

Miss Potential won the $A500,000 race last year when it was named the Nestle Peters Classic and made all the running yesterday before a late dash by Lotteria claimed her inside the last 80m.

"It almost went to script, didn't it?" said trainer Bill Borrie to Reese Jones as the jockey dismounted.

"She doesn't believe in getting beaten by bad ones, does she?" said Jones.

Miss Potential cleared the field by a few lengths in racing to the lead in the 1600m event, kicked herself clear at the 300m and then doggedly fought all the way with the winner to the finish. It took the Cox Plate runner-up to get the better of her by three-quarters of a length in the end.

Jones said little things conspired against him the in the race.

"I had to go a fraction early to get across, the breeze was strong down the back, and she went a bit keener than normal with the wind blowing back in her ears."

She responded gamely when he asked her to put a break on the field, but the class of Lotteria won.

Larry Cassidy said Lotteria gave him an easy ride.

"All I had to do was steer her, the trainer did the rest," he said. "Once I got into the clear she just powered her way home."

Lotteria has won eight races from 14 starts and yesterday's victory was her second at Group One level after posting a seven-length win in last year's Flight Stakes (1600m).

Borrie said it was a wonderful effort by Miss Potential and he was more than happy to claim the $A90,000 second prize money stake.

Borrie said the mare would have a pregnancy scan early next week to confirm whether she was in foal to international sire Red Ransom.

If she was in foal, he said he would nominate her for both the Emirates Stakes and the Hilton International Stakes, formerly the Matriarch Stakes next Saturday. The Emirates is a Group One 1600m while the Hilton is a Group Two 2000m race for fillies and mares.

There was a length and a-quarter back to Shania Dane yesterday, while New Zealand-owned mare Calveen came home strongly for fourth, with another Kiwi, She's Justa Tad, running on for sixth.

The latter's trainer, Rudy Liefting, was pleased with her effort and said she would spell now.

- NZPA