Racing: Melito holds out Princess

Glamour Sydneysider Melito may have earned Filly of the Year honours with her second Group One victory of the season in the Winter Stakes at Eagle Farm yesterday.

Melito, having her seventh start this campaign, led most of the way to hold off the fast-finishing Kiwi mare Wealth Princess to score by three-quarters of a length.

Sydney 4-year-old Beaded finished third, a further two lengths away.

Winning trainer Gerald Ryan decided Melito's her best chance after drawing badly was to be ridden for speed.

"I hadn't spoken to [jockey] Corey Brown until just before the race and he said the same thing. Surely she's done enough to win the Filly of the Year."

Ryan had won the Winter Stakes with Mon Mekki (2003) and Blushing Bijou (1992).

He now plans to give Melito a well-deserved break before bringing her back for two spring runs in Melbourne.

Jockey Michael Walker blamed the track for Wealth Princess' defeat.

"The track was too cut up for her," Walker said.

Wealth Princess was having her last start for Kiwi trainer Brent Gillovic before being transferred to Melbourne trainer Lee Freedman.