![Prima Bella completes a hat-trick of wins with a tough Group 3 triumph in the Toy Show Quality at Randwick. [Bradley Photos]](https://betsy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2348992.jpg)
An ambitious throw at the stumps has delivered the perfect reward for connections of Prima Bella after the in-form mare claimed a couple of high-profile scalps to win the Toy Show Quality at Randwick.
Trainer Matthew Smith decided to raise the bar to Group 3 company after the six-year-old strung together consecutive wins in benchmark grade at Flemington and Randwick, uncertain if it would be a bridge too far.
But Prima Bella ($5.50) proved up to the task, sitting outside the lead and digging deep in the straight to get the verdict by a long head over Stardom($16) with Flight Stakes winner Apocalyptic ($2.50 fav) doing her best work late for third, another three-quarters of a length in arrears.
Smith praised Kerrin Mcevoy for his positive ride on the winner, saying he made use of Prima Bella’s significant weight advantage over Group 1 performers Apocalyptic and Savvy Hallie, who was the disappointment of the race, finishing last.
“Kerrin took the initiative and took luck out of it,” McEvoy said.
“You just had to make it run so the better horses were vulnerable with the weight. That’s how you had to run it, and Kerrin rode it beautifully.”
Prima Bella digs in and wins the G3 Toy Show Quality 💪
That’s three on the trot for Matthew Smith’s mare 🥇🥇🥇@KPMcEvoy @mcsmithracing pic.twitter.com/Q7jEfCpKUM
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) August 22, 2026
Prima Bella was having her sixth start in a campaign that began in May, but Smith has interspersed her racing with short stints in the paddock and will continue with that formula.
While he hasn’t consulted the racing calendar beyond Saturday’s Toy Show Quality (1100m), he’s keen for the mare to stay in training while she is racing so well.
“No. That was it. I didn’t go any further. This was her grand final so it’s bloody great it has worked out,” Smith said.
“She will go up to the farm on Monday, she’ll be out in a paddock and work on a sand track up there for a week like she did this time. Nothing special, just keep her ticking over.
“Until she puts her flag up and says, I’ve had enough, we’ll keep going.”
Nash Rawiller said Savvy Hallie didn’t show her usual fight and expected there would be a genuine excuse for her below par performance.
“Just concerning she was the first horse beaten,” Rawiller said.
“The first thing that came to my mind was that it might be atrial fibrillation.”
Tommy Berry cautioned punters against dropping off Apocalyptic saying the sectional times run by the on-pace horses made it near-impossible for those at the back to overhaul them.
“They ran home in 33.7 (seconds) so it is very hard to catch them when they’re doing that. She’s done a good job,” Berry said.
