The three-year-old, trained by promising young Warwick Farm trainer Joseph Pride, made a quality field of females look second-rate and looks to have taken that next step during her recent 18-week break.

An $85,000 Magic Millions graduate, Regal Cheer is only small in stature but definitely makes up for this in terms of talent and a strong constitution. All of these qualities were on display on Saturday when she cruised up to the leaders halfway down the straight before stamping her class on the race with a wonderful turn of foot which left the others completely flat-footed.

She went on to win by ¾ of a length but the margin could have been greater had her jockey, Mark de Montfort, not eased her up in the shadows of the post. Runner-up in the race was the Larry Cassidy mount Pasikatera, with top-weight Loftily running on resolutely for third in what was a great effort under her hefty 60kg impost.

Regal Cheer, a daughter of Danehill’s VRC Derby winning son Arena, mixed it with the elite of her age last campaign racing against the likes of Fashions Afield, Mnemosyne, Beauty Watch and Astronomia with distinction, culminating with her first taste of black-type in the Listed AJC Reginald Allen Quality back in September.

Pride will be hoping she can add to her impressive tally of 4 wins from 11 starts during the Autumn.

“I was quietly confident heading into this race,” he said.

“She’s right up there with the best thee-year-old fillies, she proved that today,” he beamed.

“She’s come back in terrific order.”

Regal cheer will be aimed now at the Light Fingers Stakes and if all goes to plan, a tilt at races like the Coolmore Classic and Doncaster are not out of the question.

Already a valuable broodmare proposition because of her stakes success, Regal Cheer’s pedigree only embellishes her breeding appeal.

Besides being by Arena, her dam is the stakes-winner Regal Chamber, conqueror of the 1997 G2 Magic Night Stakes and third-placegetter in the Golden Slipper of the same year behind Guineas and Encounter.

Regal Chamber has been very active in recent years producing an unnamed colt by Giant’s Causeway which was sent to Japan last year to race, as well as a full-brother to Regal Cheer foaled in 2004 and a three-quarter brother by Rock Of Gibraltar foaled last year.