Melbourne’s Mick Price finally broke his Queensland maiden in Ipswich over the weekend with smart filly Jazz Song scoring a gutsy victory in the 2014 Gai Waterhouse Classic.

Caulfield-based Price had saddled up 39 previous starters around the sunshine state over the past 12 years, but it took Fastnet Rock filly Jazz Song to score his first Queensland victory on Saturday.

Coming off nice form earlier during the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival the Coolmore-owned three-year-old went out as the $3.70 favourite in the $100,000 Listed Sky Racing Gai Waterhouse Classic (1350m).

Thanks to a well-timed ride from Jim Byrne, aboard the filly for the first time, favourite backers were cheering on the finish line in the Gai Waterhouse with Jazz Song holding off a fast finishing Griante ($3.90).

They were the best two in betting and the bookies had it spot on, Byrne managing to get Jazz Song home after a nice jump from the barriers and a strong finish from the filly.

“I had pace drawn to my inside and to the outside, so I knew if I was a bit slow away I was going to be in trouble,” Byrne told The Courier Mail.

“I knew if ‘Dunny’ (Dwayen Dunn aboard Griante) got a soft lead, he was going to be hard to beat, so I was conscious of getting going.

“My mare takes a little while to wind up but she really hits the line and that’s what she did.”

A further length and a quarter off the Gai Waterhouse Classic quniella was then the David Vandyke-trained Breakfast In Bed ($8) beating home fourth placed New Zealander Spitfire Lady ($14).

The lead-up form from Jazz Song had been impressive including a fifth to subsequent Stradbroke Handicap third placed filly Srikandi, and a fifth when beaten under half a length by Sir Moments in the Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1400m).

The Mornington-based runner-up Griante, prepared by David Brideoake & David Feek, meanwhile was far from disgraced finishing long neck off Jazz Song in her maiden stakes assignment.

The daughter of Good Journey had won her previous three starts in Melbourne, including back-to-back mile victories, and so lost few admirers when dropped back in distance for her interstate and Black Type debut.

Jazz Song had been stabled with top Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan for her Queensland assault, Gollan having taken out the day’s other two features with Alma’s Fury (Eye Liner Stakes) and Brave Ali (Ipswich Cup).

“She has been stabled with us and she has really bloomed up here,” Gollan told AAP.

“Whether they press on to the Tatt’s Tiara next week will obviously be up to Mick and the owners after they see how she pulls up.”

The $500,000 Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) finishes off the elite level racing for the season at Eagle Farm this Saturday, nominations due out this morning.

Stay tuned for all the latest on the 2014 Tattersall’s Tiara, and make sure you’re ready to back you favourites in the final Group 1 of the carnival by signing up with Ladbrokes.com.au today!

2014 Gai Waterhouse Classic Results & Finishing Order

Ipswich Race 5 – 14/06/2014

Place	#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Br.	Wgt.	SP
1	5	JAZZ SONG	Mick Price	Jim Byrne	–	7	55.5kg	$3.70F
2	9	GRIANTE	David Brideoake & David Feek	Dwayne Dunn	0.4L	12	54kg	$3.90
3	6	BREAKFAST IN BED	David Vandyke	Michael Cahill	1.7L	3	55kg	$8
4	7	SPITFIRE LADY	Michael Moroney	Eddie Wilkinson	2.2L	5	55kg	$14
5	13	SATURN ROCK	Tony Crane	Larry Cassidy	2.7L	9	54kg	$21
6	8	TUKIYO	Lacey Morrison	Vinnie Colgan	2.8L	2	55kg	$12
7	10	AVALADYLUCK	Stuart Kendrick	Ashley Butler	3.3L	6	54kg	$9.50
8	14	ARMS LENGTH	Kurt Goldman	Anthony Allen (a)	4.8L	8	54kg	$51
9	3	CUDDLESOME	Les Ross	Brad Stewart	5.2L	11	55.5kg	$41
10	2	PICKABEE	Caitlin Lavin	Timothy Bell	5.4L	14	56kg	$8
11	12	FANTISHA	Steven O’dea	Ric McMahon	5.6L	13	54kg	$31
12	4	ENDLESS SHADOW	Peter Hulbert	Tegan Harrison (a)	5.8L	4	55.5kg	$71
13	1	DISCREET	Kelly Schweida	Chris Munce	6L	10	59kg	$21
14	11	CENTREPET	Tony Gollan	Jason Taylor	6.2L	1	54kg	$41