Dynamic Syndications 3yo Filly FLIC EN FLAC (Frosted ex Mauritius) has made it back-to-back wins to start her racing career.
As a yearling at the sales
Our undefeated filly took the step up from winning her Maiden at Bathurst over 1400m three weeks earlier in Class Record time.
Debut win at Bathurst
Congratulations to our Dynamic Owners of the 3yo Filly FLIC EN FLAC who scored another determined victory.
Our filly winning at Canberra
Today, FLIC EN FLAC was facing the starter over 1600m and put in a gutsy, hard fought, two horse war down the length of the Canberra straight to claim Race 1, the TAB Bet Friends Plate, a Class 1 and Maiden event over a mile.
FLIC EN FLAC (3yo f 55.5kgs) defeated Hadouken (4yo g 59.0kgs) by 0.03 length with 2.62 lengths back to Ellie’s Dream (3yo g 57.5kgs) in third just 0.02 ahead of Crazy Ladies (4yo m 57.0kgs) in fourth.
With Dynamic Team Member BLAKE SPRIGGS in the saddle again after he rode her to victory on debut, our CIARON MAHER and DAVID EUSTACE trained filly was presented to the races in magnificent condition and raced accordingly to claim a narrow but exciting win.
That is now twice in both her race starts our filly has had to dig in deep and win battles of attrition to score, which speaks of her courage and strength as much as the ride by the pilot and the preparation of our outstanding training stable.
Originally a field of 9 runners at acceptances, the field was cut to 6 runners after scratchings.
Our ratings men had us as favourite, despite the factors of an inexperienced 3yo filly, rising 200m in distance, taking on older males in this event. We were very confident that our filly would win, however second up syndrome is always at the back of your mind.
We spoke with Blake Spriggs and tactically it was a matter of rinse and repeat his ride on debut.
We had a race that had no pace other than ourselves and showed we should land two lengths in front and control the race.
However, now with the small field it was a battle of tactics.
So, if something wanted to race outside its pattern and try to go forward, then let it go and sit at its girth annoying it as it would be out of its comfort zone and tire late.
However, don’t ride too softly and turn it into a sit and sprint because that allows back makers to tack on. So put pressure on any leader earlier from the 700m to the home turn to ensure its run at a genuine tempo as we believed we were the superior stayer in the event and had the luxury of only carrying 55.5kgs under this weight scale.
FLIC EN FLAC was supported heavily coming in from $5.00 yesterday with to start $2.40 favourite today. The early favourite Ellie’s Dream was $2.40 to $3.00 today whilst obviously, the supporters of the runner up thought they could win as the top weight was backed in late from $6.00 to $3.50.
As the gates crashed back, the race changed shape immediately.
Jamrock the fourth favourite reared and stayed in the barriers. Then top weight Hadouken changed its tactics and sped to the lead, so, that was fine, Blake took hold of our filly and worked across to sit at its hind quarters. This allowed Ellie’s Dream now that Jamrock wasn’t in the picture to settle one pair further forward to sit third on our back.
After the first furlong the tempo released as the rider of the top weight tried to steady the tempo. Blake let it all unfold keeping an eye on what was happening with both the leader and the trailer.
Then at the 700m our Plan B was perfectly enacted. Blake slipped our filly a little rein and she moved up on the outside of the 4yo gelding to annoy it.
Swinging for home, we were eyeballing the leader and Blake just waited a few strides before asking FLIC EN FLAC for her effort.
She responded beautifully and strode out nicely. However, the top weight was in for the fight.
Over the final 250m it was a pure war and stride by stride our filly would not be defeated.
Blake asked her for an extreme effort, and she got a head in front over the concluding stages, but the heads were out of sync.
When the camera flashed, we had a narrow margin of 0.03 length helped by a terrific ride, a courageous filly and perfect placement under the weight scale.
The Sky Channel commentator summed her up perfectly, “A lovely filly with lovely long legs, the Elle MacPherson of thoroughbreds.”
Blake Spriggs said post-race: “Yeah that was a really nice win. She was very well placed and very well prepared. You can see she’s got dapples on dapples there before the race, so she was primed up for it.
“She began well but when the other horse was pretty keen. I didn’t want to take it on, even though we were not going ridiculously quick, I just didn’t want to get into a battle that early on, so I elected to sit.
“Then from the half mile, I was putting a bit of pressure on because I didn’t want the horses behind us to have a chance to come up and around because I knew she would out stay them.
“She’s a lovely big striding horse, and she is going to run 2000m, so I just wanted to make it a bit more of a tough test and when we straightened up, there was never a doubt in my mind; she was going to win.
“She was just doing what she did at Bathurst, that was, she picks a mate and thinks she will run alongside it, and when we get inside the 100m, then I can go consecutive and give her two or three in a row, then she goes ‘ok I will run away now’ but whilst you are just pushing her, she goes no, I just want to stay with my friend.
“So, she is still learning, still improving, and a horse that is learning the way she does, doesn’t often win two in a row, for their first two starts. She is going very, very well.”
Blake then phoned us on the way home from the track and told us: “She has got still plenty to learn and 2000m is her trip. Funny, she was toying with the runner-up like she did at Bathurst, but still the penny hasn’t dropped that she is there to run away from her mate.
“She is racing like its trackwork when she is paired up and supposed to go to the line together.
“She has a turn of foot which is great but even though it was close, she was always giving me a lap full of horse but just through greenness didn’t know exactly how to put them away yet. It won’t be long, and she will be a real filly.
“The runner-up came out and gave her a couple of heavy bumps which cost her momentum and put her off stride over the last 50m so the effort was huge but had we been beaten we would have won in the Stewards Room.
“Her fighting quality is her best and she is so strong through the line. Keep placing to advantage this prep and next time with this experience she can win you something nice.”
Inside horse moves out and bumps our filly first time
Inside horse moves out and bumps our filly second time
Congratulations to the Dynamic Ownership Team that own and race FLIC EN FLAC: Mr S P Loane, Mrs C Ciappara, Mr K Draper, Ms J A Murphy, Mr I R Corwell, Mr G Tew, Mrs K Tew, Mr R J Burdon, Kiwi Hunter No. 2, Mr P Bray, Mr D Goodwin, Mrs R A McDonald, Mr R P Turner, Ms P Speight, From The Hip Racing, Mrs A Taylor, Mr G J Cooper, Stolk Racing, Mr J E Maxwell.
Flic En Flac - Winner 19.5.23 from Dynamic Syndications on Vimeo.
The unusually named FLIC EN FLAC is the name of the main long white sandy beach in Mauritius.
FLIC EN FLAC was only a $30,000 Yearling bargain buy from the Magic Millions 2021 National Sale.
Her career record is now 2 Starts = 2 wins : 0 : 0 & Prizemoney: $27,150
It’s always lovely when a horse can win its first two race starts, especially horses bred to stay 2000m and possibly further, as it opens up so many options for us to place her to advantage.
The win by FLIC EN FLAC was yet another trained for us by Australia's Leading Stable CIARON MAHER RACING.
This victory took Dynamic Syndications overall tally to 818 Race Wins and our 48th Race Win for this current season.
Onwards and Upwards !