Filly makes impact for Sean Mott at Wangaratta

The daughter of Real Impact and Very Puzzling showed a good glimpse of her potential with a strong to the line maiden win at Wangaratta on Thursday, gifting her trainer an early Christmas present.

Win number one came at start number three for Sudden Impact, who was well ridden by the in-form Damien Thornton.

Mott urged followers to forgive the filly's previous run a fortnight earlier at Sandown, where she finished eighth in a field of 12 over 1300m, hinting that ticking off her maiden at Wangaratta over 1400m had always been the plan.

"She actually goes alright this filly. I had to go to town the other week just to be two weeks into today (Thursday)," Mott said.

"One thing I did learn about her is she doesn't like soft tracks and she needs to be in that training routine of racing a fortnight apart.

"So, we had to suck up some pain at Sandown to be here today.

"She's a big leggy girl who will get 2000m."

Mott was further encouraged heading into Thursday by seeing a few of the horses from Sudden Impacts' previous race at Sandown fare well again at the same venue on Wednesday.

"The maiden she ran in at Sandown two weeks ago, the form has come out of that," he said.

"A couple of those that placed two weeks ago, placed again.

"She's in the mix with that sort of crew.'

Thornton, who claimed the riding honours on Thursday with four winners, was clearly impressed with Sudden Impacts' potential.

"She was obviously good - she was good to the line," he said.

"She jumped well and it felt as if she was going to go forward, but it didn't look like it was going to work out if I pressed on, so I was happy just to come back.

"I obviously got the right run around the bend and decided to tack into it three deep and sort of peel and go from there.

"For a moment there I didn't think I was going to get there, but once I gave her a couple on the left she was right and she got the job done."

The win capped a satisfying calendar year for Mott with his small team, highlighted by back-to-back wins in April with Our Lone Star.

Those successes included a drought-breaking Flemington victory on Anzac Day in a $135,000 open handicap over 1700m.

Read more: Mott's Star shines bright at Flemington | Video

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