The Peter & Paul Snowden-trained filly My Country made history as the first winner on the new Eagle Farm course proper when she won the Lancaster Stakes 2016 in the first on Stradbroke Handicap Day.

2016 Lancaster Stakes winner My Country will be put away until the spring according to co-trainer Peter Snowden. Photo: Daniel Costello.

A field of 15 two-year-old fillies faced off in this year’s $100,000 Listed James Boag’s Premium Lancaster Stakes (1200m), the maiden race run on the newly upgraded Eagle Farm track.

The track looked a dream and felt good, as did the winning filly, according to winning hoop Blake Shinn who guided Team Snowden’s progressive daughter of Poet’s Voice My Country to a late win in the set weights clash.

“She’s got a great feel,” Shinn said post-win.

“She’s a filly we were chasing valuable Black-Type with and it was a big step up for her, and she did a great job.

“She really tried hard, it’s fantastic.”

All the Lancaster Stakes money was on the Chris Waller-trained maiden Invincibella, a smart looking I Am Invincible filly who came off back-to-back seconds at Canterbury in NSW.

She was closing very nicely late indicating she’ll come back in the spring stronger as a three-year-old when stepped out over further, but could only manage to run second to the now three-time winner My Country.

My Country came off her second turf triumph winning over 1000m at Kembla Grange a fortnight ago with apprentice Nick Heywood in the saddle.

Shinn was on for the step-up in grade on Straddie Day, which My Country handled well beginning swiftly to take the early lead before settling just back off the pace set by the Gai Waterhouse-trained Irish Sea.

Shinn had My Country in a lovely spot on the fence third in running as Irish Sea and Miss Amajardan lead the field into the straight.

My Country fought hard down the outside and hit the line first ahead of the favourite Invincibella, ridden by Hugh Bowman.

The John O’Shea-trained Commands filly Nonpareil finished off the Lancaster Stakes trifecta running third again having also finished in the money last start at Scone in the Listed Woodlands Handicap (1100m) in mid-May.

Co-trainer Peter Snowden has a good opinion of the Lancaster Stakes winner My Country who he will send out for a spell ahead of a spring return where she could develop into a genuine hope for a race like the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield over the mile in October.

“She’s got quite a bit of ability,” Snowden said.

“She’s a progressive filly and I do like her.

“We’ll look towards the spring and the nice races for her as a three-year-old.

“She’s switched off really well there today so we’ll find out how far she’ll get in the spring.”

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2016 Lancaster Stakes Results & Finishing Order

Eagle Farm Race 1 – 11/06/2016