SHE has campaigned in Queensland, run in the nation's capital and tracks across the Riverina and Central West, but when it comes to the venue where Miss Fernandez has found the most success there's a clear winner.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It's the Bathurst Paceway.
On Wednesday night the now six-year-old mare from Dennis Picker's Bigga stable took out the Gold Crown Carnival 17-27 March Pace (1,730 metres) at the Bathurst Paceway.
It was her fifth career win from 63 starts and the fourth time she had saluted at Bathurst.
When she broke her maiden status at the track in December 2018 as a three-year-old, it was clear at the top of the straight that Picker was headed to victory. This time around it was a closer contest.
"I actually didn't know if she quite got there, there was only a nose, so there was not much in it," trainer-driver Picker said.
"She's just an average type horse, but she's had a good, cosy trip on the fence and got all the right splits up the inside at the right time and never went round a horse.
"If the race isn't run overly hard she can always duck home alright."
Keep up to date with the latest sports news by clicking here
After going from barrier 10, Picker settled the Sportswriter x Dallas Amber mare three back on the pegs.
Picker stayed there until the top of the home straight when he steered Miss Fernandez ($16) into the sprint lane. She ran past leader Jiggy Rhythm then held off the fast-finishing Caesars Rockstar ($16) to win by a nose in a career-best 1:59.5 mile rate.
While Picker has been a long-time supporter of the Bathurst Harness Racing Club's annual Gold Crown Carnival, this year he does not have any runners who will contest one of the Group 1 features.
"I'm very light on for two-year-olds, I'm a bit light on for horses all-round really, we're not really working many at all at the moment. I won't have a horse for the crown at all," he said
However, Picker did finish Wednesday night's meeting with a winning double thanks to a three-year-old filly Abettasecret ($5).
It was the second win of her seven-start career, the other having come at the Bathurst Paceway went saluting in June 2020.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.westernadvocate.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
