Juggle breaks maiden status at Ballarat

A midweek country meeting at Ballarat on a firmer surface has provided the ideal setting for the James Cummings-trained Juggle to break the maiden at her second start.

Juggle, a three-year-old daughter of Lonhro, debuted for a fourth placing over 1000-metres at the same course on October 26 and that experience helped in winning the Porter Plant 3yo Maiden Fillies Plate (1200m).

Ridden by Michael Dee, Juggle ($7.50) won by ¾-length over the fast-finishing Somebodytolove ($14) with Onnamusha ($5.50) a further 1¼-lengths away in third.

“She showed good toe on debut but she was a little bit green,” stable representative Sean Keogh said.

“Mick Dee showed the initiative early and used her pace early then got a lovely midrace breather and she kicked away nicely.

“If you go back through her pedigree, she is by Deft but her dam is Dextrous so there is plenty of depth there.”

The deceased Dextrous had ten starts for five wins and three minor placings.

Those wins included the Group 2 Sandown Guineas (1600m) in 2002 and the Group 3 The Vanity (1400m) at Flemington in 2003.

“She’s a beautiful filly and she’ll be going places when she gets things right,” Keogh added.

“I didn’t expect her to land in front as comfortably as she did but once she got there she travelled lovely,” Michael Dee said.

Dee also noted that making ground late on the firmer surface was, in the earlier stages of the day, likely to be harder for backmarkers which made the late-stage effort from the runner-up, the Grahame Begg-trained Somebodytolove, noteworthy as an eye-catcher.