Royal Missile answered key questions for trainer Simon Miller when she posted a hard fought win in the Kirin Megumi Plate (1300m) at Belmont on Saturday.
The daughter of Smart Missile settled seventh for jockey, Peter Knuckey and lifted near the finish to defeat hot favourite, Bonny Be Good by a half length.
Rogano gelding Where’s Wally suffered his first career defeat in three starts, running a close third, after being held up for a run half way down the straight.
Royal Missile capped a top return to racing after making a brief two start campaign in the winter, her best effort a long neck second to Dusty Storm last June.
Miller lavished praise on the three-year-old, announcing she would be earmarked for feature races at the upcoming Ascot carnival.
“She is above average and we have a big opinion of her,” Miller said.
“I think she will make a beautiful Champion Fillies type of horse and in the autumn an Oaks filly.
“She is out of a cracking family and my main mission this time in is to get black type with her.
“If I can the world is her oyster.”
Team Williams, Grant and his wife Alana, maintained their impressive strike rate when Chocolate Holic and Cronkite kept their winning records intact.
Chocolate Holic made it four wins on the bounce when he stepped up to the mile and circled the field from last position for jockey, William Pike.
Pike was gain to the fore when he had Cronkite in a prominent position throughout before grabbing the lead and drawing away inside the final 100m.
The Trade Fair gelding , racing first-up after a 56 day freshen up, completed a winning hat trick, to cap another stellar day in the saddle for Pike.
Last season’s leading Australian rider landed his second haul of five winners in the space of several weeks after earlier saluting on It’s It, King Louie and Audience.
The Williams combination have stolen a sizeable break in the trainer’s premiership, advancing to 17 wins, eight clear of their nearest rival, Simon Miller.
Julio Santarelli