It had been a long time between drinks for Fighting Sun mare Rioyuki but she was able to turn her form around winning the 1400m BM 64 at Ballarat in a last to first performance. The stable headed into the race feeling hopeful more than confident as she hadn’t trialled up as well as she could with thoughts that maybe the breeding barn was beckoning.
After being slow away from the widest gate jockey Beau Mertens settled her at the rear of the field. Eight lengths off them on the turn, she was held up until the 300m mark and then rattled home down the outside finding the line in the final bound.
Congratulations to her owner/breeders the Stevens family, who have been rewarded for their patience. Rioyuki has now taken her earnings over $265k.