Ahha Ahha digs deep to claim first black-type Group 3 Matron Stakes

Ahha Ahha dug deep in the straight to claim the Group 3 De Bortoli Wines Matron Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Super Saturday, March 7, 2026, delivering the 4-year-old mare her first black-type victory under Ben Melham for trainer Clinton McDonald. The Starspangledbanner mare, out of Tragic Moment, produced a sustained finish in the closing stages to secure the breakthrough result.

Ridden by Melham, Ahha Ahha carried the colours trained by Clinton McDonald through the contest at the Melbourne track, converting a late run into a Group 3 score that marks a step up the black-type ladder for the four-year-old. The De Bortoli Wines Matron Stakes, contested over 1600 metres at Flemington on Super Saturday, provided the platform for the mare to notch her first stakes-level success.

The victory has immediate ramifications for Ahha Ahha’s record and future value: the Starspangledbanner daughter now enters the black-type roll, a fact that will be reflected on her pedigree and influence breeders and owners assessing her long-term worth. For Clinton McDonald, the Matron Stakes score adds a Group 3 winner to his training ledger, while Ben Melham secured the decisive ride on a filly who had not previously claimed black-type.

Flemington’s Super Saturday stage gave the result added profile, with Ahha Ahha’s 1600-metre success coming on one of the highest-attended race days of the Victorian calendar. The mare’s breeding, sired by Starspangledbanner and out of Tragic Moment, now combines on-paper credentials with tangible success at Group level following the March 7 performance.

As Ahha Ahha returns to connections in the wake of her first black-type triumph, the win reshapes immediate planning for the four-year-old. The Group 3 victory at Flemington is a clear career milestone for the mare, for Melham in the saddle and for McDonald in the stable, and it secures a new status that will inform race placement and breeding considerations going forward.