A patient ride from apprentice Sam Clipperton saw Intimate Moment storm home to win the Group 3 $150,000 Percy Sykes Tribute Stakes (1900m) at Rosehill today.

Intimate Moment, orange and black, sneaks up along the inside to win the Percy Skyes Tribute Stakes. Photo by Steve Hart.

Winning trainer Ron Quinton said that Clipperton followed his instructions to the letter and had Intimate Moment ($21) out the back in the early stages before letting her work home along the inside to score a three quarter of lengths win over Any Day Will Do ($7) and Epingle ($6.50).

“We told him he had to get her out there and get her to relax,” Quinton said.

“The only way she was going to win is get her to relax and win it in the last fifty if it was going to win.”

Clipperton’s patient ride was rewarded with his first Group winner as he drove the Dubawi mare to the line at the end of the 1900m.

Intimate Moment was having her first run past 1600m and both Quinton and Clipperton weren’t sure if she could handle the extra distance.

“She was going to be a query today at the 1900m, we had our doubts that she was going to run it out,” Clipperton said.

“Ron just said to me the key with her is just to get her to relax. The only way you are going to win is to just put her to sleep.”

“From the gate I did exactly that, got her to sleep, relaxed beautifully, travelled well and she had a beautiful turn of foot at the end for me.”

“That’s my first Group winner and it’s been knocking on the door for a while but it’s been great. A great bunch of owners and special to be able to do it for Ron as well.”

Any Day Will Do with Glyn Schofield did a great job to hang on for second after setting the pace and Epingle with Craig Williams wasn’t disgraced after coming wide on the home turn to end up in third spot.

Favourite Lucky Lago ($4.60) had a tough run early before Jim Cassidy secured the one out one back spot and finished just behind the placegetters in fifth position.