The four-year-old Smart Missile mare Ballistic Lover topped off a rewarding day for Warwick Farm-based trainer Joe Pride with a determined win in Saturday’s Listed MVRC Carlyon Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley.

Earlier, Pride celebrated the win of Private Eye in the Group III ATC Show County Quality at Randwick giving him a two state stakes double

Ridden by Damian Lane, Ballistic Lover wore down Esta La Roca to win by half a length.

“She was great,” Lane told Racing.com..

“Obviously, very well placed and well prepared by Joe Pride. She was in the Toy Show today in Sydney but elected to go the softer option and it was a great decision.

“She stalked the speed and I was the winner a long way out. She’s got the scope to keep going up in grade. She’s building a great record and going the right way about things.

“Considering she handled The Valley so well, there might be better races here for her.”

Ballistic Lover was an $80,000 Magic Millions Book Two purchase from the Newgate Farm draft for Tricolours Racing & Syndications Pty Ltd and has an impressive record with six wins and three placings from 13 starts yielding over $385,000 in prizemoney.

Bred by the Kolivos family’s Lightning Thoroughbreds, Ballistic Lover was raised at Newgate and is the first winner for She’s a Sweetheart, a half-sister by Show a Heart to Group II winner Lean Mean Machine.

She’s a Sweetheart has a yearling filly by Snitzel that was passed in at the sales and is in foal to Fastnet Rock after missing the year before to Pierro.

Consigned by Newgate to 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, She’s a Sweetheart was bought by Rosemont Stud for$275,000.