It was widely expected that a daughter of stallion sensation Christian Cullen would win the $100,000 Nevele R Stud Fillies Series Final at Addington on Friday night.
Mainland Banner was hot favourite but she was impressively beaten by another daughter of Christian Cullen, Molly Darling.
And to give Christian Cullen's
stock a further boost, the third place-getter, Absolutely Brilliant, was also sired by him.
Molly Darling raced three wide from the start before working forward to sit outside Mainland Banner about halfway in the 1950m event.
Over the closing 400 metres Molly Darling applied the pressure and drew clear to win by a length with a further six lengths back to Absolutely Brilliant.
The 1950 metres was covered in 2.22.8 (mile rate 1.57.8) with closing 800 metre and 400 metre sectionals of 57.8 seconds and 28.6 seconds.
Trainer-driver Brent Mangos was quietly confident before the race that Molly Darling could test Mainland Banner because she backs up well.
"This filly has just gradually got better and better over the last month or so," said Mangos, "and her run last week in the New Zealand Oaks gave me plenty of confidence heading into this race."
- HERALD ON SUNDAY
