Mockery claims stakes win at Flemington

Mockery has fought on after a show of early speed to claim the Very Special Kids Plate.

Trainer John McArdle has achieved his objective with speedy filly Mockery claiming a determined stakes race win at Flemington in her third start.

McArdle initially planned to send Mockery to Adelaide for Saturday’s Listed Cinderella Stakes (1050m) which was restricted to two-year-old fillies but instead kept her in Victoria for the Listed Very Special Kids Plate (1000m) for two-year-olds.

The decision paid off, with Mockery ($16) showing her early speed to lead Saturday’s straight-track race before fighting on under jockey Linda Meech to win by a half-head.

“The thought was to go to the Cinderella Stakes … but with the heat we didn’t want to take her interstate because she would melt,” McArdle said.

“She can be a little bit of a hot-headed filly, so we kept her here to take the colts on and it has worked.

“I haven’t really got a plan for her going forward. We’ll have to work that out now.

“My job was to get a black-type race with her, so I’ve done that.”

McArdle said Mockery had always been naturally fast but he had been unsure whether she would be able to stretch that brilliance out to 1000m or more.

“She still doesn’t do things right but she’s tough,” he said.

Cheer Leader was second, a nose in front of Yulong Savings, but those two placings were reversed by stewards after Yulong Savings’ jockey Luke Currie successfully protested for interference at the 200m.