The intention was to take a sit with the daughter of Ghibellines but she jumped away well and was in the thick end of the early action.
Apprentice jockey Jack Taplin had no option but to press forward for the lead with the mare, and the pair quickly took control of the race.
Taplin rated Inflamed to perfection up front and she proved to have a better kick than her rivals in the concluding stages to hold on to her advantage to win by a head over the fast-finishing The Hangover.
“We were hoping to get a bit of cover in behind them,” Shane Anderton said.
“As I said to the young fella [Taplin], she can jump and put a length on them pretty quickly.
“He rated her well. He sat as long as he could and she got the job done.”
Having proven herself over 1500m, a further step up to 1600m could be on the cards in the group 3 South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes at Riccarton on Saturday.
However, Anderton said it could prove to be too soon for his mare to back up.
He was still keen to head to Riccarton with Inflamed in the coming months for other targets.
Inflamed has proven to be a solid performer on the track, having now won seven of her 34 starts, including the listed Stewards Stakes at Riccarton last November, and she has earned just shy of $270,000 in prizemoney
- Tuneinsportsfans capped a week to remember for trainer Lyndon Bond with his strong win on the Forbury Park harness card at the dual code meeting at Wingatui on Sunday.
The pacer continued his sparkling grass track form, bringing up his third victory on turf in his past five starts.
Bond started his week of racing in the best possible style, winning the first two races at Ascot Park on Wednesday with It’sallaboutthemoney and Geena’s Gift.
“I wouldn’t have had a week like it — it is a great thrill,” the trainer said.
Bond juggles training his team, who have won six races already this year, with fulltime work for the Alliance Group.
The trainer credits family teamwork for his stable’s success.
“My wife, Aimee, deserves most of the credit. She does all the yards, the jog teams and the gear.
‘‘I just have to turn up at the track and drive them.’’
Tuneinsportsfans has been out of the first two only once in his past six starts, his miss coming in his only start on an all-weather track.
Tuneinsportsfans worked hard to find the lead in the middle stages, but it took little out of him as he strode clear for the Cleland Racing Syndicate.
- Additional reporting Joshua Smith
- LOVERACING.NZ News Desk/Allied Media
