Captains Mistress solidifies her reputation as a top mare with dominant Queen Elizabeth II win
by Adam Hamilton
It was a night for the girls and Australasia’s pacing queen, Captains Mistress, made sure it was all about her.
The 4-year-old former Kiwi is unquestionably one of the best Down Under mares of the modern area and underlined it again on the “Pacing for Pink” night at Menangle on Saturday (May 2).
She turned Australasia’s premier mares’ race, the $200,000 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Mile, into an absolute romp.
Captains Mistress (Captaintreacherous—Imaginary Bet) paced to the front from post 2 and cruised home by 12.7 meters in a 1:49.7 mile.
She blasted home in closing splits of :53.3 and :26.4.
“The sectionals [times] she puts up at the back end of these strong miles is just incredible,” said her driver Cam Hart. “It’s like strapping yourself onto a rocket and just holding on.”
After building a terrific record at 2 and 3 with trainer/driver Nathan Williamson in New Zealand, Captains Mistress’ leviathan owner Mick Boots moved her across to top Menangle trainer Jason Grimson late last year.
The result? Seven wins in eight starts, with three of those wins at Group 1 level, and a desperately unlucky fifth to the great Leap To Fame in the Miracle Mile.
She became just the fourth mare in the history of the race to beat the boys in the Group 1 Chariots Of Fire on March 7.
Many felt that with a clear run at a crucial stage, she may have become the first 4-year-old mare to win a Miracle Mile, too.
Such is her brilliance, that Grimson was content to take her into Saturday’s race without a race since the Miracle Mile seven weeks ago.
Most drivers long for one “life changing” horse, but at the age of just 27, Hart has had two.
Champion stayer Swayzee has won him two New Zealand Cups, two Hunter Cups, a Victoria Cup, a Blacks A Fake, and so much more.
And now along comes Captains Mistress.
While he opted to drive Swayzee when they clashed in that Miracle Mile, Grimson thinks things would be different now.
“I think [Hart would] go with Captains Mistress now if he had to choose again,” Grimson said.
Hart said, “[Swayzee] and Captains Mistress are so different, but amazing in their own ways.
“Swayzee is the greatest horse I’ve driven and he’s done things for me, Jase [Grimson] and Mick [Boots], we’ll never forget and may never do again.
“And now we’re together again with Captains Mistress, who is just a freak, a superstar and for sheer excitement, the best I’ve driven. She’s just got so much speed.”
Fans are hoping Boots reconsiders his plan to retire Captains Mistress to the breeding barn later this season.
Her next target is Queensland for what shapes up as an epic $350,000 Group 1 Rising Sun at Albion Park on July 4.
Despite the stars lining up for it, Captains Mistress is $1.60 (for a $1 bet) in early markets for the race.
Interestingly, winning the Rising Sun would get Captains Mistress a golden ticket into $1 million Inter Dominion pacing final at the same track two weeks later.
Grimson hinted connections would consider taking up that challenge.
“We drove her for a soft run in the Miracle Mile because we weren’t quite sure how she’d match up against those tough old stars, but now we’ve seen she can, it would be a different story,” Grimson said.
Captains Mistress was Hart’s second Group 1 win on Saturday’s stellar card and took his career Group 1 tally to 24.
Hart continued his fantastic strike rate with the premier Victorian stable of Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin with a dominant win aboard Arrhythmia (Vincent—Jo An Leonie) in the $200,000 Group 1 NSW Oaks.
Last year at the same track, Hart drove Bay Of Biscay to win the huge Group 1 double, the Chariots Of Fire and the world’s richest harness race, the $2.1 million TAB Eureka.
It was Stewart and Tonkin’s second NSW Oaks win in the past three years, after the brilliant but injury plagued Very Pretty won in 2024.
Hart chose Arrhythmia over stablemate Willows Girl after winning qualifying heats on both fillies a week earlier.
Arrhythmia, who boasts 10 wins from just 12 starts, worked forward to find the lead and kept rolling for a 1:50 mile, just 0.2 seconds outside the Australasian record set by Anntonia in 2017.
“That was pretty special,” Hart said. “She was a terrific filly as a 2-year-old for us last season and to come back even better is fantastic.”
The eye-catcher and other big talking point of the race was runner-up Senses, who is a half-sister to champion pacers Leap To Fame and Swayzee.
Having just her sixth start, Senses (American Ideal—Lettucereason) flashed home late to make it three wins and three seconds and show she’s going places.
The huge Menangle meeting also had two Group 1 trotting races and both produced somewhat unexpected results.
Former brilliant juvenile filly Rockinwithattitude (Aldebaran Eagle—Rockin Shiraz) made it three Group 1 wins from just four starts at Menangle when she led throughout to win the $100,000 Group 1 Macarthur Mile for mares.
Trainer/driver David Miles won the race at the start when he blasted out from a wide draw to lead and refused to surrender to hot favorite Jilliby Ballerini.
Rockinwithattitude never looked in danger and won easily to take her career earnings to almost $600,000 with 47 starts for 23 wins and 13 placings.
It’s been a huge performance by Miles to get the mare back as good as ever after being sidelined with a knee injury from racing between October 2024 and January this year.
“She’s won Group 1 races at 2, 3, 4, and 6 now, and didn’t race at 5,” Miles said. “She’s a real warhorse and has been everywhere, we love her.”
There was a strong U.S. connection to Gladiatrix’s win in the Group 1 trotting feature last night, the NSW Trotters’ Oaks.
Gladiatrix is from the first crop of former brilliant juvenile trotter Elite Stride, who is by Muscle Hill out of former classy U.S. trotting mare Real Babe.
She fended off a strong batch of interstate raiders to give young driver Lleyton Green his first Group 1.
Green stalked the big runs, including leader Elle Perfecto and Jilliby Aura (who he followed) and nabbed them late to win by a neck.
“I’ve run a stack of [Group 1] placings, so it’s just amazing to get the monkey off my back and win my first one,” Green said.
GOT THE CHOCOLATES AIMING FOR NEW ZEALAND CUP
John Dunn is very happy to bide his time with the very exciting New Zealand pacer Got The Chocolates.
Dunn, the older brother of Dexter Dunn, was quick to rule out a mid-year Australian raid with the focus firmly on the $1 million New Zealand Cup at Addington in November.
Best known for his strength, Got The Chocolates (Art Major—Kate Black) produced a stunning late burst of speed to beat a crack field in Friday’s (May 1) Group 1 Roy Purdon Memorial (2,200 meters) at Auckland’s Alexandra Park.
He gave away a start and beat dual New Zealand Cup winner Swayzee (who led) and last week’s Group 1 Taylor Mile winner The Lazarus Effect and gunned them down to win by a half-neck.
Even John seemed a tad surprised.
“That’s some sort of win,” he said. “He’s come back great, just so much stronger.
“He relished those tough trips as a 3-year-old. He’s bounced off them and got mentally and physically stronger.”
Despite the win, John said he has no regrets bypassing last month’s $1 million Race by Sport Nation won by Leap To Fame at Cambridge.
“After the way Larry [Leap To Fame’s barn name] went at Cambridge, I’m very happy I didn’t go there,” he said with a laugh.
“This is a stepping stone, this race, we’re still looking at the big picture. We haven’t had a genuine Cup horse in a long time.
“We’re sort of taking it slowly the early part of his 4-year-old season and hopefully it repays us come November.”
Queensland officials were desperate to get Got The Chocolates to Brisbane for the $350,000 Group 1 Rising Sun at Albion Park on July 4.
“No, he’s not going,” John said. “He’s got the Messenger next week and then he’s got a break before we aim at the Cup.”
Like so many Kiwis, the Aussie dominance in recent years hasn’t been lost on John.
“Unfortunately, the Aussies have had the wood on us, pacers and trotters, for the last couple of years, but we’ve got some very talented pacers, Marketplace, Bob’s horse [The Lazarus Effect], and this one, and hopefully the tide’s turned now,” John said.
If Marketplace (Bettors Delight—Cullen Who) runs up to expectations at Addington next Friday (May 8), he will go to the Rising Sun.
The 5-year-old The Lazarus Effect (Lazarus—Brook Street) will clash again with Got The Chocolates and Swayzee in the Group 1 Messenger on Friday.
He has been nominated for the Brisbane Inter Dominion in July and his trainer/driver Bob Butt said the trip was “more unlikely than likely.”
New Zealand’s other young pacing star is 3-year-old Jumal (Downbytheseaside—Beaudiene Blinkz), who cruised to victory in Friday’s (May 1) Group 1 Northern Derby at Alexandra Park.
The Steven Reid-trained pacer has looked special at times through 12 starts for 10 wins and two thirds.
“He’s got the Sires Stakes final on May 22 and I’m contemplating a Queensland trip after that for the Derby and the Rising Sun,” Reid said.
