Melito showed she was on track for a successful campaign when she thumped Hot Danish to win today’s $251,150 Group Two Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill.

Perfectly ridden by Brenton Avdulla, Melito sat on the outside of Hot Danish for much of the race before striking the front and striding clear in her first run since November.

The blue blooded Redoute’s Choice mare, already a multiple Group One winner, looks on track to win more of racing’s elite races prior to being retired to stud.

Trainer Gerald Ryan went into the race confident his star mare was ready to run well after a brilliant barrier trial win earlier in the week,

“I let her tell me when she was ready (to kick off),” Ryan said. “Her trial on Tuesday morning was sensational.”

“That (trial) was the first time Brenton had sat on her back and he put her to sleep and I told him to give her a squeeze and I was surprised how quickly she quickened.”

“She’d done a treat since Tuesday and she did a great job today.”

“She was able to ping out and get across outside the leader and that was the plan,” he added. “Otherwise we would have been stuck out (three deep) where Love Conquers All was.”

“You had one of the best judges of pace in front – Tim Clark riding Hot Danish – and I said to Brenton if you’re right there don’t go before the 300 metre mark before it’s 1400 metres first up.”

“Brenton rode her sensational,” Ryan added.

Ryan took a shine to Melito when she was offered for sale at the 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He bid to $600,000 to secure his filly of the sale.

As it stands her outstanding record reads out at five wins and 11 placings from just 21 starts and her earnings continue to rise – they now sit at an imposing $1,767,050.

“It’s amazing this racing industry,” a delighted Brenton Avdulla said. “On Tuesday morning I was going to the trials to do one for Grahame Begg in the first.”

“I got a phone call from Gerald Ryan saying – I’ve got a horse in on Saturday and she’s trialling in the first trial and if you ride it you can have the ride.”

“I said which one and he said Melito!”

“I went straight to Grahame and he said no worries. I do a lot of riding for Grahame and he understands.”

“So I had the ride on the mare and she trialled super and Iwas quite confident coming here today.”

“The little trick was the alley – but we covered that in the first 50 metres,” Avdulla added.

Melito, by champion Arrowfield Stud sire Redoute’s Choice, is one of three stakes performers produced by the stakes winning Marauding mare Cloister.

A winner of the Debutante Stakes at two, Cloister is a three quarter sister to Unison as well as the dam of Flying Alpha.

Winner: Melito (Redoute’s Choice-Cloister)
Race: ATC Apollo Stakes G2 (1400m)
Sold for: $600,000
Sale: 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Reavill Farm
Buyer: Gerald Ryan
Earnings: $1,767,050
Owner(s): Reavill Racing Syndicate (Mgr: J Rippon)
Trainer: Gerald Ryan (Rosehill)