Cup week delight for HEARTS ARE BETTER & TAKE A BOW

This year’s QTIS 3yo Jewel winner HEARTS ARE BETTER made the most of a drop in grade with a first-up victory at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Having finished unplaced in two stakes races subsequent to his Jewel triumph in March, HEARTS ARE BETTER was beautifully placed on 58kg in the 1000m Class 3 Plate and duly saluted as the $2.20 favourite.

The son of BETTER THAN READY took control of the race from the outset, leading at a solid clip before rattling off a last 600m of 33.01 seconds to win by 0.9 lengths.

HEARTS ARE BETTER advances his record to four wins and two placings from nine starts with prizemoney now totalling $433,200.

He was retained to race by his breeders Yarramalong Park.

Three days later, it was stablemate TAKE A BOW also appreciating a drop in grade at the Sunshine Coast’s Melbourne Cup Day fixture.

The 4yo mare was sluggish away as usual but her class prevailed in the 1000m Class 2 as she sailed down the outside to score by 0.9 lengths.

Crucial to her first victory since February was the soft (7) track conditions. In 13 career starts, all three of her wins have come on soft ground.

TAKE A BOW, a daughter of ROYAL MEETING, was purchased by Proven Thoroughbreds for $40,000 at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.