John Parsons was unsure whether Annabel Rose was up to the class of her rivals in the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Stakes at Wingatui on Saturday.
The answer was an emphatic yes.
The filly disappointed Parsons - who co-trains with wife Karen - with her run at Riccarton in mid-February, and it was perhaps only the nearby presence of the Pins filly's owner-breeder, Beverley Jones, who lives in Mossburn with husband Stan, that tipped the scales for Parsons.
''The Riccarton run didn't fill us with confidence to come here,'' Parsons said.
''She only went average at Riccarton but we thought she seemed well within herself so we pressed on.
''They're only 3 once - Mrs Jones owns it, and has got the family, so if you can run a place in a stakes race, it's a bonus.''
And what a bonus it was, as Annabel Rose was forced to race wide throughout and held off the challenge from Berenice who got clear from her rails run in the straight.
Her win adds more lustre to the breeding record of her mother, Carinda, who has left O'Cartier (16 wins) and Santos (four wins) while a full brother to Annabel Rose was foaled in September.
''I suppose she's deserved a crack at the mile in Canterbury, [on April 6]'' Parsons said.
''I don't think 1600m will worry her, so we'll press on with that.''
The Parsonses continued their fine 2012-13 season form with four wins on the day. Winchester left his maiden rivals gasping in the 1600m maiden, Confused finished strongly to win the rating 75 2200m and Paraketo turned around his average run at Ascot Park last month when he got up to claim the rating 75 1600m.
''Things just didn't go right at Invercargill with him,'' Parsons said.
''He's just a better big-track horse - he got a bit lost at Invercargill and it got a bit tight.''
Paraketo also gave the team a minor health scare after he finished at the tail of the field down south.
''We thought we had a bit of a wind issue after Invercargill,'' he said.
''[Jockey] Kylie [Williams] said he made a bit of a noise when he pulled up.
''Whatever it was, we had him scoped a couple of times but he seems to be over it now.''
