In a head-bobbing finish, the five-year-old Adelaide mare Barossa Rosa edged out defending champion Salateen in the Listed Magic Millions Nudgee Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday. Ridden by Jim Byrne for Tracey Bartley, Barossa Rosa defeated the rapidly closing Salateen by a short-half-head with Sneaky Five two lengths back in third.
The victory earned Barossa a wildcard to the Magic Millions Fillies and Mares at the Gold Coast in a fortnight. A homebred for Kerry and Andy Chrysiliou’s AKC Thoroughbreds, Barossa Rosa advanced her record to six wins, four seconds, and a third from 19 starts with earnings of $487,490.
“Tracey has done a great job with this horse,” Byrne said. “I rolled forward but could not get any cover, so I sat outside Centrefire. “She was entitled to concede but didn’t. She saw Salateen coming and stuck to her guns.”