Selenia Records Upset Scarborough Stakes Victory

Selenia upstaged a quality field of fillies to record an upset win in the 2016 Scarborough Stakes at Moonee Valley last night.

Jye McNeil took out the Scarborough Stakes on Selenia at Moonee Valley on Friday night. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos

Jye McNeil took out the Scarborough Stakes on Selenia at Moonee Valley on Friday night. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos

Selenia went into the Scarborough Stakes as an outsider following flat efforts in the Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 13 and the Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on September 10, but she was settled just behind the speed in the early stages of the race by Jye McNeil and outsprinted her rivals in the final stages of the race.

Robbie Griffiths Stable representative Don Healy was impressed with the performance of Selenia, but he said that the stable would not get carried away with the daughter of Not A Single Doubt and a tilt at the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 8 is unlikely.

“She’s always been strong,” Healy said.

“I don’t know what happened at Flemington, but we put the blinkers on and she worked well on Monday.

“Drawing an awkward barrier, it was a matter of going forward and she was just too strong.

“Her first-up run wasn’t too bad.

“We had her scoped after last start and there was nothing wrong with her – she was second-up after a spell.”

“I’m not sure that she’s the top of the pack, but there are good races around for her.

“This is her level.

“We’ll be able to pay for the new stables now.”

McNeil has only just returned to race riding after badly injuring his leg before a race at Bendigo in March and he was clearly delighted to record one of the biggest wins of his racing career to date in the Scarborough Stakes.

“She had a bit of an off day last start at Flemington, but she has been working really well all week in the blinkers and it really sharpened her up well for tonight,” McNeil said.

“I can’t thank connections enough.

“It is a beautiful time of year to be riding winners like this, especially coming back from injury.

“It is a really good time to be riding winners.”

Stop Making Sense through home late to finish a close second to Selenia, while Merriest lost no admirers with her third place finish.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.