Racing: Tiny filly in 'awesome' display

Foreal has the Alexandra Park triple crown at her mercy after a stunning victory in the second leg last night.

The tiny filly destroyed most of New Zealand's best three-year-old pacing fillies in the $90,000 Sires' Stakes Championship, sitting parked before bolting away to win by four lengths over fellow southerner Miss Bubbles.

While the win surprised nobody, the ease with which Foreal was able to deal to so many good fillies was a statement of clear superiority.

The race was the second leg of the fillies' triple crown, with Foreal having led to win the first leg, the Ladyship Stakes, last Friday.

Having now shown she can sit parked and win that easily, she will now start a red-hot favourite in the last, and most important of the triple crown, the Great Northern Oaks on December 27.

Even conservative driver Anthony Butt was left shaking his head after the win.

"We knew she was good but that was awesome tonight," said Butt.

"She felt great in her prelim and was bolting in the race, but once I let her go she just killed them.

"The way she went there she will be very hard to beat in the Oaks because she is getting better with every run."

The win capped a great night for Butt, who partnered Likmesiah to win the $20,000 Manukau Cup earlier.

In a repeat of last season's New Zealand Derby result, he made the most of a perfect run to down pacemaker Winforu, with Maheer Lord impressive enough in third to keep his Auckland Cup campaign alive.

The night's other feature went to Likmesiah's stablemate Imagine That, who cruised to victory in the $20,000 Great Northern Breeders Stakes, even after working hard to lead.

Her driver, Blair Orange, said she was getting tougher all the time.

"She will be right up to the best mares in the country by the time the big mares' races come around at Addington next month," said Orange.