David Harrison claimed the first leg of what he hopes will be an interstate double this week when Mekong Miss won the Listed $120,000 Bunbury Stakes on Tuesday.  The Serpentine based trainer is quietly confident stablemate Sir Hallowell can grab a G1 in the $350,000 Royal Randwick Guineas this Saturday.

Mekong Miss was a late maturing mare and waited until she was an autumn four year-old before breaking her maiden at Narrogin this time last year.  That victory began a winning streak that has seen her strike 10 times in 13 starts.

Mekong Miss (5m Ihtiram – Balmerigia by Balmerino) set a good clip in front at Bunbury and she kept finding in the final furlong to score by a long neck from the favourite Tudor Lad.

She is by Taunton Vale stallion Ihtiram and is a younger half-sister to Balgold (Fimiston) who won 8 races in South Australia and NSW.  Their dam Balmerigia was bred back to Ihtiram after foaling Mekong Miss and the result was Perth winner Redhage.  The mare also has a yearling filly by the Taunton Vale sire.

Champion mare Miss Andretti put Ihtiram on the map when he was based at Wayandah Stud.  The 15 year-old son of Royal Academy was relocated to Taunton Vale after Wayandah owner Ray Cochrane died two years ago.

SIR HALLOWELL (3c More Than Ready – Valda Merceda by Hennessy) is up against a hot field at Randwick this Saturday but Harrison is buoyed by his last-start fourth in the G2 Hobartville Stakes.

He cost $280,000 at the 2008 Inglis Easter yearling sale and is from a winning half-sister to NZ G1 winner Bawalaksana (Straight Strike) and Flemington G3 winner Damaschino (Last Tycoon).  The latter is the dam of Lindsay Park’s Golden Slipper candidate Shaaheq (Redoute’s Choice).