Pretty Punk earns trip to Melbourne after upstaging the boys at Morphettville

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Promising filly Pretty Punk will target the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day after her impressive victory over the boys in the $100,000 Listed Hill Smith Stakes (1800m) at Morphettville on Saturday.

Pretty Punk gave jockey Joe Bowditch a reason for an early celebration before his wedding on Sunday, the pair proving too good for the Tony McEvoy-trained Silvera and heavily backed Morvada, who tired after working hard to find the lead.

It was the stable’s fourth Hill Smith win in the past 12 years.

The success completed a massive day at the office for Hall of Fame trainer Leon Macdonald and co-trainer Andrew Gluyas, who produced So You Too and On A Dream to win earlier.

Macdonald said Bowditch was putting his hand up to ride stablemate Ace Attack, who finished sixth. “Joe was keen to ride the other one but I said Clare (Lindop) gets the choice,’’ Macdonald said.

Bowditch said Pretty Punk was a horse going places after being forced to cover ground in the run before coming with a big finishing burst. “She’s a good filly,’’ the jockey said. “She was wide but has some cover and she was really strong.’’

While Pretty Punk was impressive, her victory was slightly overshadowed by stablemate So You Too, who produced a dazzling turn of foot to run down his three-year-old rivals over the 1200m earlier in the day.

Despite getting back in the run, So You Too swept into the race before racing past rivals to score by more than a length.

Lincoln Moore, The Advertiser