Christian Melody careers away from her rivals in the Breeders Crown Mares FFA
In June, Craig Demmler wouldn’t have dared mentioned Christian Melody in the same breath as Ladyship Mile winner Deanna Troy.
The Parwan trainer always had faith in the daughter of Christian Cullen’s ability, but after being given a shot at the big guns in the Queen Of The Pacific and Graham Goffin Memorial she was proven outclassed.
After a respectable eighth in the Group 1 Queen Of The Pacific, she failed to beat a runner home behind Jazzam in the Graham Goffin.
Fast forward three months and Christian Melody is the $5 favourite ahead of Deanna Troy ($6) for Saturday night’s $20,000 VSB&SA The Blossom Lady at Moonee Valley.
Ever since bouncing back from her Graham Goffin Memorial failure with a win at Cranbourne, Christian Melody has gone on to become Victoria’s form mare.
Her last seven runs have produced four wins and three seconds, including victory over field containing Blossom Lady rivals Mesmerizing and Deanna Troy in Tabcorp Breeders Crown Graduate Mares Free-For-All on August 14.
Demmler said that success was confirmation that the now six-year-old had reached the level he’d always thought she was capable of.
“I’ve always known she’s had ability, but she just seems to have seasoned a fair bit this time around and she sure has hit a purple patch,” he said.
“But even when she raced those good mares in the Breeders Crown (FFA), that surprised me how well she went and how well she won.”
Christian Melody, the owner of a devastating finishing burst, will be driven by Demmler’s partner Jodi Quinlan and roll from barrier nine in the 2100-metre mobile event to be run at 9.30pm.
Sit-sprint specialist Mesmerizing ($21) has inside the back row (barrier eight), iron mare Sophie Pass ($6) gate 10 and Deanna Troy outside the back row (11).
Former Breeders Crown champion Staccato (barrier one) and Very Chic (six) share a crowded $6 line, while popular four-year-old Ananz is a $9 chance after drawing to make use of her early speed from barrier two.
“From nine we shouldn’t be too far away because we follow out Ananz,” Demmler said.
“But we’re going to need luck at the Valley and those quality mares, you can never underestimate them.”
