Prediction comes true in Perth Cup

Twelve months earlier, Peters stood on the Ascot podium after winning the 2019 Perth Cup with Star Exhibit (Statue of Liberty {USA}).

The post-race presentation was made by Perth Racing chairman Colin Brown, who also owns Mississippi Delta’s dam Mississippi Belle (Marooned {GB}) at Mogumber Park.

“I was talking to Bob after he won the Perth Cup last year with Star Exhibit, and Mississippi Delta had finished fourth in that race,” Brown recalled.

“I remember joking with Bob and saying, ‘I wish it had been your other horse.’ He looked at me and said, ‘Next year, Colin.’ He was right!”

Ridden by William Pike, Mississippi Delta was the favourite for Saturday’s 2400-metre feature, but she had a mountain to climb in the home straight. With 200 metres remaining, she was still second-last in the 13-horse field.

But then Mississippi Delta produced a sensational finishing burst, sweeping past her rivals and sprinting to victory by a length.

“I haven’t seen her 400 and 200-metre sectionals yet, but it was an incredible finish,” Brown said. “Bob had always told William that he just needed to give her the space and the opportunity, and she would find the line strongly. She certainly did that, and hopefully there’s more to come for her.”

Mississippi Delta became the ninth Perth Cup winner for Peters, and his fifth in the last six years.

Bred and raced by Peters Investments Pty Ltd, Mississippi Delta has won 10 of her 19 starts and more than $700,000 in stakes. This was her fourth stakes win, having previously won the G3 R.J. Peters S., the Listed ATA S. and the Listed Tattersall’s Cup. The 6-year-old is trained by Grant and Alana Williams.

A broodmare marvel

Mississippi Belle has a perfect record at stud, being the dam of seven winners from seven foals to race. Three of those have won at stakes level, with Mississippi Delta following in the footsteps of her older half-siblings Battle Emblem (Second Empire {Ire}) and Elite Belle (Canny Lad).

Battle Emblem won 11 races including the Listed WATC Grandstand Cup and Pinjarra Cup, and he also placed in the G3 Strickland S. and Belmont Sprint H. and finished fourth in the G1 Kingston Town Classic.

Elite Belle won the G1 Railway S., G2 C.B. Cox S., G3 Prince of Wales S., G3 Belmont Sprint, G3 Hyperion S. and two Listed races, and she also placed in the Kingston Town Classic and four other stakes races. She sadly died on a flight to Melbourne in January of 2015.

“I remember Bob saying that after he lost Elite Belle, he was always going to make sure he held on to this mare, Mississippi Delta,” Brown said. “She became very important to him.”

Brown – who runs Mogumber Park with his veterinarian wife, Dr Fiona Lacey – bought Mississippi Belle for $72,000 at the 2015 Inglis Sydney Weanling & Broodmare Sale.

“She’s been a tremendous mare,” Brown said.

“Bob sold her in Sydney a few years ago when she was in foal to Testa Rossa. We bought her there, and we kept the Testa Rossa filly that she produced later on that year (named Poverty Point).

“We put her in work with Adam Durrant, and the signs had been very promising. William Pike rode her and he was hugely excited about her talent.

“We were just about to take her to the races and hoping to have a bit of fun with her, but unfortunately she injured a tendon just a couple of days out from her first start.

“She’s been out for about a year now. We’ll keep an eye on how she’s going, and we might look to bring her back into work in the near future.

“Since then, we’ve sent the mare to our stallions, Rommel and Safeguard. We had a nice Rommel colt who we sadly lost as a foal, so we haven’t had a great run with her progeny so far, but she’s just such a lovely mare to have around. We absolutely love her.

“We sold a colt by Safeguard for $150,000 last year, and he’s set to trial on Monday. We’ll be watching him with interest. She’s in foal to Safeguard again now.”

Rommel stands at Mogumber Park for a $4,000 service fee, while Safeguard’s fee is $8,800.

A son of Commands, Rommel won four races headed by the G2 Western Australian Guineas and the G3 Zeditave S. His oldest progeny are yearlings this season.

Safeguard, by Exceed and Excel out of the Group 1-winning Canny Lad mare Preserve, won the G3 Kindergarten S. and Vain S. and placed in the Gold Coast Guineas and Starlight S. He has sired nine winners from 20 runners in his first two crops, including stakes placegetters Miss West Coast and Specialism.

Mississippi Belle, meanwhile, is still going strong at Mogumber Park at the age of 22.

“She’s showing a little bit of age now, but she looks really well,” Brown said. “She’s very healthy and happy.

“She’s here with us for life. She’ll always have a home here. She’s the sort of mare that you can throw in with the weanlings as an auntie, and she does a great job. She’s fabulous, and she’s got a very special place here at the farm.”