The Michael Cornish-Donna Gaskin-trained mare’s barnstorming run down the straight in the $25,000 0-58 Handicap over 1950m at Yarra Valley Racecourse on Saturday netted the six-year-old her fourth career win.
In doing so she qualifies for a $150,000 final on Mackinnon Stakes Day on November 6.
“It’s always been an earmark that we have looked at for her, but it was a matter of keeping her up and happy,” Cornish said.
“She goes into that final now full of confidence.
“She’s had 12 starts this preparation so it has been a long drawn-out process, but she’s been getting better with each run.
“This is the last one, we’ll treat this as the grand final and hope we can get some of the riches.”
An earlier preparation for Full Ahead often saw her relegated to the bridesmaid position, and though she ran another second in her latest preparation, it’s also seen her snare three of her four wins within three months.
Those successes were far from easy, all coming from a length off second and from as far back as fifth at the 400m mark.
“She’s a mare that does get back in her run, and she can be a very tricky horse to ride,” Cornish said.
“It’s normally the last 600m that is the best part of her races and it does help when we get a really good speed up front, then the front can weaken a little bit and we’re stronger on the line.
“It’s always a heart-in-mouth situation.”
Racing on a Heavy 8 track at Yarra Valley, Full Ahead and jockey Neil Farley found themselves falling into the back of the field early, second from the rear at the final 1000m.
With a bit of chasing to do, and with Pride of Kinross leading close to four lengths out in front of the field, Full Ahead started to make her move.
Getting to the outside at the turn in eighth, Full Ahead came from nowhere to chase down a tiring Pride of Kinross, who looked home for all money, to pip her at the post by half a length.
The victory brings up $100,000 in prize money won by Full Ahead.
“It’s been good for a bunch of owners who have all stuck together with this mare,” Cornish said.
“When you walk away from last week (a second at Bendigo) being so close, you do feel a little defeated.
“But to bounce back yesterday and get the score on the board from a pretty tough run coming from nowhere, and when it was all shot to bits, we were thinking ‘oh no, not again’ but she put the head out and got the win.”
- Honorellay has fallen at the final hurdle in a second straight race at his home track.
Racing at Echuca on Friday, the Jim Lake-trained Honorellay was a favourite in the BM58 Handicap over 1000m but had to settle for second.
Jumping well alongside First Point to set the pace, the six-year-old gelding couldn’t hang on in the final 400m as the Rod Grantley-trained Raysim came storming home on the outside to win by a length.
It followed another second by Honorellay at Echuca on October 11 in the higher classed BM64 Handicap over 1009m.
Gwenda Johnstone’s Lika Mosh is still searching for her maiden-breaking win after finishing third at Echuca in the Maiden Plate over 1200m.
Lika Mosh and runner-up Ha She, trained by Barry Goodwin, were well back on the winner by four lengths as the Patrick Payne-trained Sixbysixtythree showed he may be destined for bigger things after saluting on debut.
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