Success & Highlights
Prussian Vixen wins the Group 3 Bellmaine Stakes again
A year after delivering Mornington horseman Michael Mehegan his maiden Stakes win as a trainer, homebred sprinter Prussian Vixen staged another Caulfield boilover when she defended her Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) crown on Saturday.
Jockey Jake Noonan, who allowed Prussian Vixen to settle on the back of leader Fraulein Rustie for the first half of the race before asking her to improve from the 500m, praised Mehegan’s preparation of the mare to land back-to-back wins in the $150,000 feature.
“What an effort by Michael, to produce her first-up in this sort of race,” Noonan said.
“You wouldn’t find a trainer that would back his horses so much, he was so confident that he had her back on track so he deserved this.”
Prussian Vixen wins the Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes
Mornington trainer Michael Mehegan has landed a stakes winner with his first runner in a black-type race.
Prussian Vixen led throughout in the Group Three Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday to give the former horse breaker his biggest success.
Ridden by Jake Noonan, Prussian Vixen ($12) held on by a half-head to defeat the $3 favourite Silent Sedition with Ameristralia ($5.50) a half-length away third.
Mehegan was noticeably calm as he waited for Prussian Vixen to return to the winners’ enclosure.
“I thought I’d be more nervous today that what I was,” Mehegan said.
Victory on Saturday was Prussian Vixen’s sixth from 21 starts and pushed her prize money towards $300,000.
Mehegan said Prussian Vixen had endured a tough campaign when last in work.
“This preparation, every time we’ve stepped her up, she’s improved,” Mehegan said.
“Last preparation she kept tying up and had a joint problem, but this prep we gave her a good spell and there’s been no problems with her.
“She might not be the best bred horse in the country but she’s very tough.”
Mehegan said the Bellmaine Stakes came on his radar following Prussian Vixen’s win at Caulfield last month.
“I had thought about this around five weeks ago, but more so after she ran third to Ameristralia three weeks ago at Moonee Valley,” Mehegan said.
“We looked at Tassie but decided to come here.
“It’s turned out perfectly.”
