Talented I Am Excited continued trainer David Pfieffer‘s great run with mares in Queensland and gave jockey Blake Shinn a treble when causing an upset in the Group Two Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm.
The Victory Stakes has a long history of surprise results and it proved that way again when I Am Excited ($10) wore down the favourite Redzel ($1.85) by three-quarters of a length with 1-1/2 lengths to Jonker ($6) in third place.
I Am Excited ran third in last year’s Victory Stakes before a spell to prepare for the Melbourne spring.
But this year Pfieffer is keen to push on into the winter with the Group One Tatts Tiara on June 22 as a possible grand final.
He said the mare’s win had opened some other options and her full winter schedule would be settled in the next week.
“I think she could miss the Doomben 10,000 and head on to the Kingsford Smith Cup. But we don’t usually make final plans after a race,” he said.
“She hadn’t been suited by the wet tracks in Sydney and back on a dry track today she was better suited.”
I Am Excited has been a model of consistency for Pfeiffer and 18 of her 20 races have been in black-type events with the Group Two Gilgai Stakes at Flemington her previous best win.
“She is already a valuable broodmare but that would skyrocket if we can get a Group One with her,” Pfieffer said.
Pfieffer has won the Group Two Dane Ripper Stakes with Cradle Me, Gai Waterhouse Classic with Gai’s Choice and the Vo Rogue and Magic Millions 3YO Guineas with Graceful Anna.
Shinn, who had earlier won on Le Juge and Gem Song, said I Am Excited was well up to the winter carnival feature races.
Kerrin McEvoy was far from downcast with the run of Redzel who didn’t show his usual brilliant early pace.
“He couldn’t muster the pace and then I had to make my own way to the lead at the 200m when the leaders collapsed,” McEvoy said.
“He has not run terrible.”