KEY POINTS:
Persistence paid off for trainer Brian Mayfield-Smith when Lyrical Bid gave him the second leg of a winning double on Derby Day by taking out the Group One Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington.
Just over two hours earlier yesterday, stablemate Maybe Better got a start in next Tuesday's
Melbourne Cup when he won the Saab Quality, providing the trainer with his best start to a Flemington carnival.
Mayfield-Smith, who won the 1985 Victoria Derby with Handy Proverb, said he had endured his most frustrating period as a trainer in the last 12 months and was unable to explain yesterday's sudden success.
"You struggle a lot and then all of sudden for some unknown reason it comes together on the day," Mayfield-Smith said.
"The main thing is to come good and keep coming back."
Mayfield-Smith said he was still light on class runners and put all his faith in Maybe Better, Lyrical Bid and Astrodame, who finished seventh in the Myer Classic, and Truly Wicked in the Group Three Helvetica Stakes.
"These four I had in today were the only cards I had left to play," Mayfield-Smith said.
Mayfield-Smith applauded the ride of Craig Williams on Lyrical Bid, who was beautifully positioned on the rails and able to get a late crack at New Zealander Seachange, who had been pestered in front by Honest Politician for most of the race.
Seachange ($4.60) tried to answer the challenge but Lyrical Bid ($21) was too strong, scoring by three-quarters of length with the Bart Cummings-trained Kosi Bay ($61) 1 1/2 lengths away in third place.
"It's a pleasure riding for Brian," Williams said. "I made use of the draw and she travelled lovely.
"She dug deep and beat a good horse in Seachange."
The win surprised Mayfield-Smith.
"I was not really confident because realistically my two mares on the weights weren't really well placed technically," he said.
"I just went in with the attitude 'we will have a throw of the dice and see if we can up with a win' and it has worked out. An ounce of luck is like a ton of judgment.
"She [Lyrical Bid] had the most perfect run you could have asked for, put her guts into it, and then she finished it off strongly."
Jockey Gavin McKeon said Seachange, who had won twice at Group One level in New Zealand this spring, was gallant in defeat and refused to blame Honest Politician for her defeat.
"She hasn't had a run for a month and that's probably shown the last 50 or 100 metres," McKeon said.
"She had the race won but just didn't quite have the legs underneath her to keep her going."
Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winner Rewaaya was the $3.50 favourite and was prominent throughout but produced a disappointing performance, finishing ninth.
- AAP