Bel off to Adelaide

Quality mare Temple of Bel will be headed to Adelaide following her last-to-first win at Flemington on Thursday, April 25.

Trainer Tony McEvoy said the mare would come to Morphettville for the $200,000 Group 2 Hughes Limousines Queen Of The South Stakes (1600m) on Saturday, May 4.

“Provided she comes through today’s race okay, that race looks ideal,” McEvoy said.

Temple of Bel’s win capped a good day at the office for McEvoy who also had three winners at Gawler.

A $3.10 favourite and ridden by Luke Currie, Temple Of Bel scored a 1-1/2 length win in the Nancy Wakes Handicap (1600m) beating Jester Halo ($7) with Araaja ($8.50) a neck away third.

McEvoy’s Melbourne stable foreman Michael Shepherdson said the mare deserved the victory.

“Being a backmarker, she has been the victim o some slow run races,” Shepherdson said.

“Today was nice and steady and gave her the opportunity to finish off nice and strong.

“She looked the winner a long way out and the pleasing thing was the way she put them away when she got to the front.

” I’m sure she will gain a lot of confidence from today.”

Winning jockey Luke Currie said it had looked nice race for the mare.

“The first few runs she was a little below her best, but the addition of blinkers last time sharpened her right up,” Currie said.

“Out to the mile (12600m) today, she was way too good for them.

“I came out at the top of the straight, gave her a bang, and she picked them up with ease.

“The stable has done a great job getting her ready, which they always do, and it was her race today.”