Umgeton And Mateo Light Up The Valley

Quality filly Umgeton will have one more run and then chase her maiden stakes success following a brilliant win at Moonee Valley tonight.

Prepared at Bendigo by Brendon Hearps, Umgeton was sent out a well backed favourite and after controlling the speed she proved much too good for her rivals.

A daughter of Stratum, Umgeton had won her previous start when lesser fancied and too strong for the well fancied Peter Moody trained three-year-old Master Harry.

“She didn’t have a lot of luck first up last time,” Hearps said. “And then she over raced second up with the gear chance and then she didn’t train on for her third start.”

“But she’s a filly with a lot of ability,” he added.

“We’ll most probably have one more (run) before the 1100 at Flemington on the 12th of next month.”

The filly was purchased for just $18,000 from the 2008 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale. Her earnings have now raced past $100,000.

She is one of two winners for the 100 per cent winner producer Edgeton – a former classy Racer’s Edge mare who won over $335,000.

Edgeton was a classy Moonee Valley performer and scored a valuable stakes success when victorious is an Ian McEwen Trophy.

Meanwhile, Mateo relished the step up in trip when he cruised to victory in the LF Signs & Designs Handicap (2500m) later in the night.

A member of the powerful Tony Noonan stable at Mornington, Mateo sat fourth early before coming with a run over the concluding stages to hit the front and hold out his rivals easily.

A $45,000 purchase for Noonan at the 2007 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Mateo was bred by Hong Kong businessman Kai Fai Leung and sold through the draft of Widden Stud.

He’s now won almost $50,000 and he looks to have a bright future ahead as a rising staying talent.

By Arc winner Carnegie, Mateo is from the impeccably related Marooned mare Candid Smile.

She is a half sister to Hold That Smile, the group winning dam of Snapshots and grandam of Lady Dehere, Oratorio and Discorsi. Her full sister Silver Slipper has produced the flying Perth stakes winner Scuffs.

The talented South African stakes winner and Group One placegetter Silver Empire is also a close relation.