Midnight Martini - Matriarch Stakes

Bonny mare Midnight Martini gave the Kavanagh stable good reason to celebrate when she was victorious in the Group Two $300,000 VRC Matriarch Stakes on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

In a near repeat of her Cranbourne Cup win Michael Rodd settled the mare on the fence in third and travelled comfortably throughout before unleashing a winning sprint in the straight.

“She needed everything to pan out like it did with the chances out the back and her to be smoking up on the pace," Rodd said.

“I was able to hold onto her (today) and that’s what you’ve got to do because she only gives you a little, short burst but that is good enough to win a race.”

Trying in vain to run Midnight Martini down was last start Moonee Valley Crystal Mile winner and favourite Silent Achiever who could only manage fourth.

The win saw Midnight Martini eclipse the half million dollar mark in prizemoney and added a second valuable stakes win to her pedigree.

Midnight Martini returns home this week to the property of her co-owner/breeders - the Watson family's Mill Park Stud - for a well earned spell. She is scheduled to return to the stables next year for an Autumn preparation.

Meanwhile in Adelaide Prime Thoroughbreds gelding Sea Tryst returned to the winner's circle with a first up win in the Santa's Stables at Morphettville Handicap (1250m). The son of Foreplay has won four of his eleven starts and has been placed on a further three occasions for prizemoney fast approaching $100,000. Sea Tryst is a half-brother to another Prime galloper in Believe'N Achieve won won eight races and $210,838 when in the care of the Kavanagh stable.