Electric City sparks to win

Patience has paid off for trainer Stan Bates, after Electric City won the $15,000 Charles Mammone Maiden (1216m) at the Bunbury Turf Club yesterday.

The two-year-old filly showed so much promise early on in her training that Bates sent her straight to Ascot in February to compete in the $60,000 Community TAB Plate (1000m).

But despite having champion jockey William Pike on the back, Electric City finished last and was more than 12 lengths behind the winner.

Yesterday though was a different story, with jockey Clint Johnston-Porter taking the filly from second at the turn to overtake race leader Prize Catch to claim a maiden win.

Bates said he was delighted with the performance.

"She has been up and down the scale a little bit," he said.

"We started her in town thinking she might be good for one of those filly races, but she ran atrociously.

"We took her back to trials and she trialled really well. Then this was the first appropriate run for her."

Bates said he was not sure if Electric City would finish as strong as she did.

"She can lead most fields if she wanted to but I thought she might get a bit weak at the finish," he said.