Prima Bella's Toy Show Quality triumph after bold trainer call

A bold strategic move has yielded excellent results for connections of Prima Bella, with the mare in fine fettle taking down two significant rivals to win the Toy Show Quality at Randwick.

Trainer Matthew Smith decided to challenge the six-year-old mare at Group 3 level following a sequence of wins in benchmark races at Flemington and Randwick, unsure if the progression would be too great.

Prima Bella ($5.50) proved her capability, settling outside the leader and fighting hard in the closing stages to snatch the win by a slender margin of a long head from Stardom ($16). The Flight Stakes victor, Apocalyptic ($2.50 favourite), put in a late run for third, a further three-quarters of a length behind. Punters examining the leading racing betting markets saw Prima Bella cause an upset against the favoured runner.

Smith lauded jockey Kerrin McEvoy for his assertive ride, noting that Prima Bella's considerable weight advantage over top-class gallopers Apocalyptic and Savvy Hallie, who finished last and was the race's biggest disappointment, was effectively utilised.

"Kerrin took the initiative and took luck out of it," McEvoy said.

"You just had to make it run so the better horses were vulnerable with the weight. That's how you had to run it, and Kerrin rode it beautifully."

This was Prima Bella's sixth start this campaign, which began in May. Smith has kept her sharp by alternating racing with short periods spelling, a method he plans to continue.

He hasn't looked beyond Saturday's Toy Show Quality (1100m) but is keen for the mare to keep racing while she's performing so well.

"No. That was it. I didn't go any further. This was her grand final so it's bloody great it has worked out," Smith said.

"She will go up to the farm on Monday, she'll be out in a paddock and work on a sand track up there for a week like she did this time. Nothing special, just keep her ticking over.

"Until she puts her flag up and says, I've had enough, we'll keep going."

Nash Rawiller expressed concern over Savvy Hallie's lack of usual competitive spirit, suggesting a plausible explanation for her underwhelming performance.

"Just concerning she was the first horse beaten," Rawiller said.

"The first thing that came to my mind was that it might be atrial fibrillation."

Tommy Berry cautioned against dismissing Apocalyptic, pointing out that the swift pace set by the leaders made it extremely challenging for horses from further back to challenge.

"They ran home in 33.7 (seconds) so it is very hard to catch them when they're doing that. She's done a good job," Berry said.

Explore the latest betting markets for the race at betting sites.