Generosity delivers McDonald his fourth winner in Randwick stakes
Star rider James McDonald notched up his fourth stakes victor during the Royal Randwick meeting when Generosity timed her run perfectly to hold off Marhoona in a pulsating Group 2 $500,000 Challenge Stakes (1000m) held on Saturday.
Excitement filled the weight-for-age sprint throughout, as the popular pick Raging Force faltered early on and was pulled up by Tommy Berry before reaching the straight.
In the meantime, experienced frontrunner Mazu set a hot pace, with Marhoona and Generosity tracking closely, while previous The Everest winner from 2022, Giga Kick, found it tough to keep up from further back.
Yet McDonald's masterclass shone through, as he peeled away from behind Marhoona in the closing stages to snatch victory from the prior year's Golden Slipper champion right at the finish.
McDonald said all three placegetters "fought it out really well".
"Take nothing away from the second horse (Marhoona), I didn't think I was going to get there, she's a very good filly in her own right,'' McDonald said.
"Generosity looked great in the parade ring and although I wasn't intending to be there early, she jumped so well.
"Then she presented like the winner and jogged up to them. She's a bonny little mare.
"Chris (Waller, trainer) was pretty confident before the race and you always get so much confidence when you get legged onto his horses because they're primed and ready to go.
"She's Group 2 placed (3rd in The Shorts) from memory but The Galaxy down in the weights is the perfect race for her."
A blanket finish saw Generosity at $10 scrape home by a short half head from Marhoona ($9.50), followed by Mazu ($8.50) a head behind for third.
Completing the 1000m journey in 56.63s, Generosity clocked a rapid last 600m of 32.59s, rendering it nearly impossible for mid-pack runners to challenge the pace-setters.
The $3.20 favourite Giga Kick rallied strongly at the end to take fourth place, ending up 1.5 lengths shy of victory.
Expect the trio of placings to renew rivalry in the Group 1 $1 million The Galaxy (1100m) over Rosehill Gardens' track on March 21, with Giga Kick targeting the Group 1 $3 million TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) back at Royal Randwick on April 4.
McDonald had already tasted success earlier with Pinito (Group 3 Aspiration Quality), Beadman (Listed Fireball Stakes), and Chayan (Group 2 Reisling Stakes), making Generosity his fourth.
Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller opted for an uncommon strategy of three jump-outs to sharpen Generosity for her Challenge Stakes assignment.
"Generosity needed to be fit and fresh to win this race,'' Waller said.
"I didn't lose faith in this mare, she's got very good form in Perth and she's a talented mare
"She was ready to go a month ago and then we thought, where are we going to run her?
"We know she is good fresh and we couldn't find the right race so we put her on the treadmill for a week.
"Then we gave her a third trial as she had to be very fit and fresh for this race. She is a lovely horse to worth with, she is mentally mature now.
"So, we will go to The Galaxy on our home track at Rosehill now and could even look at the Sangster Stakes in Adelaide."
Head to the online bookmakers to find competitive betting sites for the Challenge Stakes action.
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