Resurgent Rebel's tough win in the $10,000 Ladbrokes Racing Centre 2YO at Mowbray on Sunday night came as no surprise to her owner-breeder Roger Whitmore.
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In fact, he probably would have been more surprised if she didn't win.
Whitmore has "a pretty big opinion" of the Heston Blue Chip filly who, on breeding alone, can be expected to reach a high level.
She is the fourth foal of Whitmore's outstanding broodmare Resurgent Star, following behind Resurgent Spirit (31 wins and $240,000) and Resurgent Dream and Resurgent Storm (10 wins each).
But, unfortunately, she will be the second-last of the line.
"Resurgent Star was a tremendous broodmare but sadly she had a problem while giving birth to her last foal and we had to put her down," Whitmore explained.
"The foal was fine and is a magnificent looking colt."
Whitmore usually trains his own horses but has put Resurgent Rebel in the care of Zeke Slater at Brighton.
"I'd love to be training her but it's pretty hard when the gates to the New Norfolk track have been locked for some time," the owner said.
"You can't teach a two-year-old a lot behind a jogger so I sent her to Zeke who I regard as a very good trainer.
"The filly had a bit of a setback about six weeks ago - I think it was stress-related - so she's still a couple of weeks behind where she needs to be.
"She needed the run first-up and this race tonight will also do her the world of good."
In a five-horse field, Resurgent Rebel raced in the death before edging out heavily-backed favourite Our Ideal Fella and outsider Stormy Sanz in a blanket finish.
JOY OF WINNING
Rohan Hillier had runners in only two races and won both.
Lightly-raced mare Giftofjoy returned from a spell to score in the Rating 51 to 55 and Prosecution Witness made the most of a perfect run in the Rating 56 to 65.
Giftofjoy was runner-up to Victorian filly Ghadastar in the 2018 Tasmanian Oaks but, after winning her next start, kicked her stable wall and broke a pedal bone.
Vets told Hillier at the time that there was a good chance she would never race again.
However she made it back to the track 18 months later and had two starts for a win and second to her stablemate Sheza Bettormak.
Hillier was content to sit in the death for her return run and she got home by 3-1/4m over the fast-finishing Laid Back Kenny with Keep Playing close up third.
Earlier in the night, Ben Yole trained his 800th career winner when Quick Changeover sat in the death to take out the Rating 30 to 50.