Rookie trainer David Pfieffer savoured the biggest win of his fledgling career when Graceful Anna won an action-packed $1 million Magic Millions Trophy at the Gold Coast on Saturday.Pfieffer has only been training in his own right for 15 months and scored his first black-type win when Graceful Anna won the Group Three Vo Rogue Plate at Doomben on Boxing Day.But while Pfieffer celebrated the victory, the connections of placegetters Tallow and Love Conquers All were fighting for the second and thi
Rookie trainer David Pfieffer savoured the biggest win of his fledgling career when Graceful Anna won an action-packed $1 million Magic Millions Trophy at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Pfieffer has only been training in his own right for 15 months and scored his first black-type win when Graceful Anna won the Group Three Vo Rogue Plate at Doomben on Boxing Day.
But while Pfieffer celebrated the victory, the connections of placegetters Tallow and Love Conquers All were fighting for the second and third prizemoney cheques in the stewards' room.
Darren Beadman, rider of third placegetter Love Conquers All, protested against Corey Brown on the runner-up Tallow for alleged interference from the 150m to the winning post.
Stewards deliberated after hearing Beadman's evidence that Tallow had twice bumped his mount in the closing stages but eventually gave the benefit of the doubt to Tallow and agreed with Brown that his mount came from well behind and made up plenty of ground in the straight.
For Pfieffer, Graceful Anna's victory brought back a flood of memories of his mentor Tony Wildman and he immediately paid tribute to the late trainer.
"He's up there looking down on me, I just know he is," Pfieffer said.
"I did a long apprenticeship with Tony - 15 years to be exact - but this makes it all worthwhile.
"She's just so tough this filly. She just keeps finding and I knew she would kick when they came at her."
A $38,000 yearling, Graceful Anna was ridden by Blake Shinn in her last-start win but Pfieffer remained loyal to the filly's regular rider Peter Robl and the underrated hoop repaid him in spades.
Robl parked Graceful Anna outside the leader until the turn where he released the brakes and the Canny Lad filly dug deep in the straight to extend her record to five wins and a second from just six starts for more than $800,000 in prizemoney.
Robl said what Graceful Anna lacked in brilliance she made up for in grit.
"She's easily the toughest filly I've ridden. She's not the most natural filly but she is so tough," he said.
Stathi Katsidis, rider of the well-supported Shoot Out, said the horse turned in a phenomenal performance despite finishing fifth.
"Sensational run, he was never closer than four deep and he was entitled to run last after the run he had," Katsidis said.