Bendigo trainer Danny Curran extended his recent purple patch with Sizzling Style’s maiden win at Ararat last Sunday, the stable’s third win in as many weeks.
Sent out a $21 chance with bookmakers, the filly looks to have a bright future after settling last on a slow speed in the 1600-metre event before circling her rivals to score a convincing three-quarter-length victory under Jarrod Fry.
“We thought she was going to make it into a nice horse but she lost her way as a three-year-old and it’s good to see her starting to put it together,” Curran said.
“She’s progressing and might get out to 2000 metres in the end.”
The four-year-old daughter of Sizzling was coming off a personal-best third placing at Tatura nine days earlier.
She laid in down the home straight at Ararat, suggesting there’s further improvement to come.
Purchased for $30,000 at the Inglis Premier sale in 2017, the flashy mare is from Stylish Lass, a Group 3 winner for Lindsay Park.
The team went close to making it a double in the final event at Ararat when Welcome Stryker went down by a half-length in finishing fourth. 
Curran has saddled up four winners and five placegetters from 20 runners this season.

Dual joy for Josh, Jim
Bendigo trainer Josh Julius and owner/breeder Jim Middlemis have had a week to remember after half-sisters Super Girl and La Belle Epoque saluted for favourite backers this week.
Favourite punters left happy at Benalla on Tuesday after La Belle Epoque won the 1606-metre maiden thanks to a patient Zac Spain ride.
The Rubick filly, owned and bred by Jim Middlemis, had shown glimpses of talent in her first six unplaced starts and was an eye-catching fifth on Bendigo Cup day.
“I thought I was the winner a long way out but she just took a while to wind up,” Spain reported after La Belle Epoque broke her maiden at start seven. 
The filly will now head for a spell after what has been a long campaign.
The win was a special one for Julius, the first since the birth of a first child, daughter Frankie, to him and partner Kassie. 
He didn’t have long to wait for the second, with Super Girl winning a 2400-metre benchmark 64 at Bendigo on Wednesday.
The five-year-old So You Think mare was sent out a $2.20 favourite under Damien Thornton, coming off a 4.4-length eighth in the Group 3 Bendigo Cup over the same course.
“When she puts it all together she’ll put away those races pretty easily,” Julius said.
“Seeing her run in the Bendigo Cup the way she did you’d like to think next season she’d be bigger and better. We’ve mapped a light autumn so we can have a big spring.”
Middlemis has a younger half-brother and half-sister to Super Girl and La Belle Epoque, both by Fastnet Rock from the Giant’s Causeway mare Hailbella.
Mick on the move
Bendigo’s premier trainer of last season, Mick Sell, has made the move back to Kyneton after just over 12 months in the Goldfields region.
Sell prepared 16 winners to take top honours last season, with stable star Penny to Sell leading the way and a Bendigo Cup day success with Carlingford.
While he’s been pleased with the Bendigo training facility, Sell still lives 65 kilometres away in Kyneton, where his children’s schooling and sports are based.
Having clocked 100,000 kilometres in travel between the two towns last year, Sell fell something had to give. 
He and wife Mel will be missed and I wish them further success in the future.
Nursery gains champion
The Bendigo Jockey Club has itself another entry for the Nursery of Champions honour board following last Thursday’s Oaks win to Miami Bound. 
She is the latest of many Group 1 winners who won their maidens at Bendigo. 
Miami Bound started $5 on August 23 at Bendigo in winning her maiden over 1400 metres. 
Meanwhile, Bendigo Cup winner Top of the Range finished a creditable fifth in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes last Saturday. 
Mike Moroney’s horse missed the $200,000 bonues for completing the double, a feat achieved by Francis of Assisi and Puissance de Lune in recent years.