Umatilla's classy mare Umaline returned to the winner's
circle in the most stylish way on Saturday when she stormed home for an ultra impressive
win in the listed OP Consultants Classic Mile at Victoria Park in Adelaide.
After seemingly out of it after turning for home the Oaks
placegetter and dual Group Two winner then produced an amazing final sprint to score an
unlikely and thrilling win.
Trained by John Hall, the mare showed she was going to play
a major role in the feature Autumn carnival races after her sizzling fourth in the Group
Two Swettenham Stud Stakes at Cheltenham two weeks before.
Umaline has been entered for two races at Flemington on
Monday including the $1.25 million Group One Australian Cup, where she would clash with
leading racetrack stars Northerly, Ethereal, Giovana and Old Comrade.
Earlier in her career Umaline shot to prominence when she
won the $500,000 Group Two AV Kewney Stakes at Flemington as a three-year-old, beating a
crack field including Hill of Grace and Shizu, both subsequent Group One winners.
Returning to Adelaide she chased home the in form Grand
Echezeaux in the Group One Australasian Oaks at Morphettville after a set back following
her Kewney triumph.
An autumn specialist Umaline added another Group Two win to
her credit twelve months ago when she stormed home for an upset win in the Swettenham Stud
Stakes at Morphettville, a race where the beaten brigade included Sunline's Maikato Stakes
conqueror Piavonic.
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