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Find out what the jockeys made of their mounts after the Group 2 $300,000 TAB Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick.

Tommy Berry (Manaal): “I jumped well but jumped a bit too well. She’s a filly that you don’t want to ask her a question because you’ll get a pretty good answer and it isn’t always the one you want.

“She wears her heart on her sleeve. It was a good run today. She jumped better than I expected and she wanted to be a little bit closer than I wanted her to be.

“I don’t know whether she’s a 12 or 1300-metre horse yet so I didn’t really want to ask her the question and then get her to try and relax.

“I rode her quieter today, got her to relax and banked on her turn-of-foot and her quality as well. Going into this race we thought she was a class above and she proved that today.

“She did a good job today, picked them up quick and was a class above them. They’re not the best we’ve seen (so far) heading into a Slipper.

“She gave me a very similar feel to what She’s Extreme did and she won - I think - a week out from the Slipper. Then she was unlucky in the Slipper, second in the Sires’ and then won the Champagne.

“She gives me that sort of feel. I know she won well today but I think the two-year-olds she was up against might not be as strong as what the colts were today.

“If she went that way (towards the Golden Slipper), she’d be very competitive and she feels to me that once she gets up further she might be better suited.”

Manaal wins the Sweet Embrace Stakes

Jason Collett (Fly Fly): “Found the line really well. Just had to go back too far from the gate.”

Chad Schofield (Extreme Diva): “She ran really well. We drew badly and didn’t jump the best. Just rode her quietly, showed a really good turn of foot and she made up many lengths to run third. Good effort.”

Dylan Gibbons (Totoka): “A bit of work in the middle stages told late. Nice filly going forward.”

Tim Clark (Chateau Miraval): “She has done a nice job stepping up from a maiden to finish fourth there. She will be a better filly in the future.”

Kerrin McEvoy (Photographics): “Nice big filly. She will grow into herself and be a lovely 3yo.”

Tyler Schiller (Wave Breaker): “I think she has a lot of improvement. The track probably didn’t suit her today.”

Adam Hyeronimus (Valabing): “I think she is a nice filly. Maybe next preparation.”

Ashley Morgan (Asteride): “She will be a nice filly over further and this prep under her belt.”

Regan Bayliss (Diddle Dumpling): “Nice filly. She ran really well.”

Reece Jones (Montana Dawn): “She will get better over a bit further. Nice enough first time out for her.”

Tom Marquand (Zounaka): “She will learn plenty form that. A tough race for a debut but ran well.”

Check out the replays and results from Verry Elleegant Stakes Day at Royal Randwick