Ross headed for big 2YO season
Trainer Les Ross has signalled he will be a major player in two-year-old races as the year rolls on after Mishani Miss won at Eagle Farm.
Backed from $31 into $21, Mishani Miss finished strongly on Saturday to beat Uncle Frank ($6.50) by 1-3/4 lengths in the Makers Mark Two-Year-Old (1000m).
Mass Destruction ($4.80) did a good job after being caught deep to finish third 1-1/2 lengths back.
The win showed the marvellous drying powers of the new Eagle Farm surface as Mishani Miss clocked 57.11 seconds, which was just outside the class record of 56.96 seconds.
Mishani Miss was originally trained by Leon Phillips and has been with Ross for only two months.
“She has been impressing me but I was worried when she was an emergency,” Ross said.
“In the end we scratched our other horse Hancora Field, who is heading to a race next Saturday.
“She didn’t have much luck when fifth first-up at the Sunshine Coast.”
Ross has increased his two-year-old stocks this season and many of them are raced by Mishani Miss’s owner, Mick Crooks.
“I have about 16 two-year-olds this season many of whom will be debuting soon,” Ross said.
“I think we can play a hand in the two-year-olds for the rest of the year.”
Ross trained Mishani Miss’s dam Caressable One who has been a good broodmare with her best to date being Mishani Vaidra, the winner of seven races.
“Caressable One used to get a long way back but Mishani Miss has a bit more pace,” Ross said.