Mecca completes heavenly pilgrimage

IN RACING terms the winners’ circle is the industry’s ‘holy land’.

Thanks to his promising mare, Freddie Taiba made the pilgrimage into the heavenly arena at Tabcorp Park Melton last night.

Taiba’s ‘hajj’ was made possible by Our Road To Mecca which outstayed her rivals to complete a minor upset.

“She’s always been a nice filly and this time in has matured and strengthened up,” Taiba said.

“Each season she has made her way into the big races and been thereabouts against the best of her crop.

“We gave her a good break after the Breeders’ Crown in August she has really benefitted from it and come back better again.

“The New South Wales Breeders’ Challenge was going to be her main target this preparation, but given the current circumstances the industry, and indeed the world, is facing that option isn’t available right now.

“That in mind, I haven’t got any plans for her, which is the scenario for most stables and their horses, so I’ll just see what is available.”

Driven by in-form reinsman Ryan Duffy, Our Road To Mecca was given time to settle into her stride from the inside of the second row before being taken three-wide to test the leader, Two Times Bettor, from the ‘death seat’.

Forging her way to the front around the home bend, the daughter of Art Major dashed to a 10-and-a-half metre win from Miss Hartley, with Millah Joy a neck away third.

Rating 1:57.9 over 2240 metres, the Australian Pacing Gold purchase provided Duffy with his second victory of the night.

Earlier on the card Duffy scored with the Geoff Webster-trained Majestic Cruiser, which accounted for Machs Gold and Madeeba in 1:59.4 over 2240 metres.

Duffy’s double follows his initial metropolitan treble the previous week.