From Harness Link (Bruce Stewart, published 10 May 2025)
While other fillies were staking their claims to be top of the tree in the three year old fillies ranks, Southland trainer Nathan Williamson was biding his time, waiting to stake his claim with his star filly Captains Mistress (CAPTAINTREACHEROUS). After winning the New Zealand Two Year Old Filly Title of the Year, Williamson maintained Captains Mistress was up to the level of some of the new girls on the block. In tonight’s $200,000 Magness Benrow New Zealand Sires Stakes Three Year Old Fillies Final, Captains Mistress received the dream run and proved too sharp for her eight rivals, winning by an impressive four lengths from Princess Gracey.
The winning time was 2-38.1 for the 2200 metre feature.
“She’s a great filly and has been special from day one. She was probably the forgotten horse tonight (paying $9 to win). She probably came up a run short at Invercargill in the Southern Oaks. Tonight with the speed on and not having to do any work, it suited her. She was lethal tonight which was great,” Williamson said.
It was the Southland trainer’s first Group One win at Alexandra Park and Captains Mistress’s second Group One victory. She’s now won five races and more than $300,000. He confirmed the classy three year old will now head to Brisbane for a winter campaign.
“She’s going to Queensland on Monday. She’s owned in Australia by Mick Boots. She’s such a good doing filly we didn’t want to give her too long off over the winter so she’s going to race in the Queensland Carnival out of Grant Dixon’s barn. Then all going well, the plan is to bring her back for our spring racing in Canterbury. I’m very excited and I might have to go over and watch her race.”
