KEY POINTS:
Miss Andretti gave Lee Freedman the complete set of Group One races on Melbourne tracks when she landed her third victory at the highest level in the Australia Stakes yesterday.
There are 27 Group One races in Victoria each season and Freedman had won them all previously except for the Australia Stakes, a race in which he had three second placings, including those of two of his best horses, Schillaci and Mahogany.
"I can retire now," Freedman said after landing his 119th career Group One success.
Miss Andretti became the first horse to win the Manikato Stakes-Lightning Stakes-Australia Stakes treble in the same season and the latter two events were the first two legs of the Global Sprint Challenge.
Freedman is mindful not to overtax the 5-year-old daughter of Ihtiram and he's making Royal Ascot in June his priority for her.
That is where the third and fourth legs of the series are held - the Group Two Kings Stand Stakes (1000m) on June 19 and the Group One Golden Jubilee Stakes (1200m) five days later.
"I don't want to go to the well too often with her. I just want to see how she is before she gets to England," Freedman said.
Since Freedman has had the mare who was previously prepared in Western Australia by part-owner David Mueller, she has won six races and been placed in her other two outings.
"She had to do it a bit tougher today," Freedman said.
"She didn't have the explosive brilliance and consequently she got back into what could have been an awkward position, but she has the turn of foot to get out of trouble."
Miss Andretti has won 15 of her 23 starts and jockey Craig Newitt, has had seven rides on her for five victories, and is a big fan.
"She's unbelievable, she did everything that I asked," he said.
"They went mad to the first turn, but they then brought themselves undone by pulling up too quick."
Sent out the $1.55 favourite, Miss Andretti powered home to score by 1 1/4 lengths from Any Suggestion ($51) with Rewaaya ($11) 3 1/4 lengths away in third.
Any Suggestion's performance was not a surprise as he ran a slashing fourth in the Lightning Stakes at the Valley, coming from last.
- AAP
