Underrated mare Saint Alice added valuable winning black type to her blossoming career record when she took out the Listed Matamata Veterinary Services Equine Kaimai Stakes (2000m) in a blanket finish.

The Peter and Dawn Williams-prepared six-year-old looks to have come of age in her current campaign with a win at Tauranga over 1600m two starts back followed by a gritty run for third in the Gr.3 Taranaki Cup (1800m) earlier in the month.

In an even field where betting was dominated by Awapuni visitor Manifique ($3.10), Saint Alice ($14.30) and rider Ashvin Goindasamy settled beautifully outside leader Roger That with eventual runner-up Langkawi tracking her throughout.

Goindasamy pushed the button straightening for home as Langkawi moved alongside and they began a tooth and nail struggle for supremacy. Aotea Lad shot through on the inner to join issue and the trio went hammer and tongs before Saint Alice thrust her nose in front on the line to take the win.

Dawn Williams had been hoping for a good performance after convincing husband Peter that the mare was a good chance in the event.

“Peter was a little worried as she blew a bit in her work the other day, but I had to remind him she had just worked with Desert Lightning so it was probably to be expected,” Williams said.

“She really is a tough little biddy and she got left a sitting duck a little when she hit the lead.

“She loves a scrap though and she put her head down and wouldn’t give in.

“When Aotea Lad dashed through on the inner I thought she might be done, but that mental toughness kicked in and she fought back again.”

While the mare has always possessed oodles of ability Williams believes it has taken time for her to strengthen up and show her best.

“They all take time as she was a little frail earlier on,” she said.

“She has looked good this time in and we thought she was very good at New Plymouth on a track that was just too wet for her last time.

“She is hitting her peak now so we have a few things to look forward to over the next couple of months as she does handle cut in the ground and she is still fairly lightly raced.”

Owned by Barneswood Farm Ltd for Sarah Green & Ger Beemsterboer, Saint Alice was purchased for $220,000 by Beemsterboer from the Jamieson Park draft during Book 1 at Karaka in 2019.

The daughter of prolific Group One winner So You Think has took her career record to seven wins from 25 starts while she has also been placed seven times including finishing third in the 2023 Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m).