Perdon's Country Cups aim after maiden metro winner

Andrew Perdon has only been on the training scene in his own right for a few months but the month of September has become one he will remember with a maiden winner and now his first metro-grade winner.

An ‘off Broadway’ city class program at Mornington on AFL Grand Final Dany has given training newcomer Andrew Perdon the opportunity to break his city duck with Starspangled Baby’s win in the Mercedes Benz Mornington Handicap (1500m).

The $50,000 event was a steppingstone for Sale-based Perdon and the six-year-old mare with aims at the newly introduced Country Cups Final (2000m) worth $500,000 at Caulfield on November 18.

“Once he gets further again, he’ll be even better again,” Perdon said with future country cups in Victoria in mind.

“The best thing is that she makes her own luck and she’s tough so she can be in with a show in those races.”

Winner of the Traralgon Cup (1900m) in November 2022 and second-placed in the Bairnsdale Cup (1600m) in March, Starspangled Baby was ranked third on the Country Cups Final qualifying leaderboard prior to winning at Mornington.

Starspangled Baby ($5.50), by Starspangledbanner, won narrowly over the Cindy Alderson-trained Miss Moonshine ($8) with Fiasco Tess ($4.40) in third.