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Favourite Sovereign Award wins Ladies’ Day Vase at Caulfield.
Sovereign Award has helped trainer Danny O'Brien claim a one-two finish by edging out her stablemate in the $200,000 Ladies' Day Vase (1600m) at Caulfield on Wednesday.
A heavily backed $3.10 favourite, Sovereign Award tracked stablemate Fabric throughout Wednesday's race for mares before proving too strong in the final stages to score by a long neck.
The previously undefeated Chaillot ($6.50) ran home strongly for third, a further short-head away.
Sovereign Award is now unbeaten in two starts for jockey Jamie Kah who scored aboard the mare at The Valley on October 2.
The mare has been carefully placed by O'Brien throughout her career and Wednesday's victory was her seventh from 15 starts and was her first try at stakes level.
O'Brien will now contemplate starting Sovereign Award in the $1 million Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on October 31.
"We'll think about the Empire Rose but we could possibly head back to The Valley on Saturday week," O'Brien said.
"She does love The Valley and she's in a rare vein of form so we certainly won't be turning her out.
"It's very satisfying particularly for the owners. Dianne Sealey, she raced Shamus Award and this is from the first crop of Shamus Award and the first stakes winner out of that crop.
"He's had a fantastic Caulfield Cup week, two stakes winners on Saturday and another stakes winner today.
"Very satisfying for all of us."
Kah said Sovereign Award can by a tricky ride.
She said Sovereign Award settled well at The Valley when afforded cover but wanted to get the job over and done with on Wednesday.
"She wanted to take the race at the 800 (metres), she was on the bridle," Kah said.
"She was probably a little bit plain late, but that was because she wanted to get going a bit early."
A five-year-old by Shamus Award from the Show A Heart mare Sovereign Charm, Sovereign Award is raced by Ms D S Sealey, Mr V A Oldfield, Mrs M E David, Ms K Jenkins and has amassed $347,175 in prize money for her connections.
Trainer Archie Alexander was pleased with Chaillot's third placing after being unbeaten in her previous three starts.
"She seems to have a different trick for each run," he said.
"Last time she showed us that she was wanting a mile, this time she showed us that she wants 2000 metres. In ten more strides she might've got there.
"She did a good job catching them. We might go to the Matriarch or the Empire Rose."
