Neds Oakleigh Plate (G1) heroine Pippie added a second top-level feature to her record when she burnt off her rivals to win the Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (G1) at Moonee Valley Sept. 25, but The Everest, the world's richest turf event, appears to be off the radar for the speedy mare.
Set alight by Damian Lane from the gates, the John and Chris Meagher-trained Pippie led her rivals with ease, clocking blistering sectionals as she went along.
Lane put three lengths on Pippie's chasers on the turn and, although they steadily pulled ground off her, she could not be reeled in.
Despite weakening noticeably late, Pippie had three-quarters of a length to spare over Godolphin's dual group 1 winner Trekking in second with a further head to Adelaide mare Bella Vella, who just filled third in a photo over the hard-charging Brooklyn Hustle in fourth.
"I've never been on one quicker early, just how clean she is from the stalls and how easily she does it," Lane told Racing.com. "You just give her some rein out of the barriers and then lay on her neck and she does the rest for you.
"I actually thought I was in a little bit of trouble on the corner when she came off the bridle but when I asked for her maximum effort she really dug in again."
While the last three winners of the Moir Stakes—She Will Reign, Viddora, and Nature Strip—all gained berths in the AU$15 million The Everest, it is unlikely that Pippie will follow in their footsteps, especially with plenty of speed already engaged.
Instead, the Manikato Stakes (G1)—once again at Moonee Valley—and Flemington's Darley Sprint Classic (G1) are more likely options.
"This was our main target," Chris Meagher told Racing.com. "We'll just regroup and see. She holds a nom for the Manikato and for the (Darley) Sprint. We did pencil in that race on Derby Day (the Begonia Belle Stakes, G3) but we might get 69 kilograms. We'll just see how things pan out and how she pulls up. It's just a relief to get through tonight."
He continued: "She's amazing fresh. Tonight she was just on point, she'd done everything right and we couldn't have been happier. She's a deadset old 10-year-old gelding at home but as soon as she bounces out of the machines, she's a completely different animal.
"We came here as confident as you can be going into a group 1 race so to pull it off is absolutely amazing. To win a race of this caliber is a huge honor, I'm just rapt for everyone involved."
Purchased by the Meaghers for AU$60,000 (US$46,050) out of the Eureka Stud draft at the 2017 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Pippie has now won AU$1,201,950 ($828,068) from just 12 starts.
"She's just a ripper of a sprinter, Pippie. And the mother, well she's turning into a very good buy for us now," said Eureka's Scott McAlpine, who purchased Pippie's dam Coupe Express for AU$26,000 ($19,074) at the 2015 Inglis Melbourne August Thoroughbred Sale in foal to Written Tycoon—that foal was Pippie.
"She's (Coupe Express) actually booked in to be covered with Written Tycoon next week so hopefully we'll have a full brother or sister to Pippie on the ground next year.''
Runner-up Trekking came with a storming run down the center of the track, putting himself firmly into Everest calculations. Godolphin has a slot, but has to choose between Trekking and his younger stablemate Bivouac.
