Congratulations to our Dynamic Team of owners that race our promising young filly SECRET DELIGHT (3yo f. Encosta De Lago / Divine Secret) after her gallant placing in THE ROSEBUD a Listed Race over 1200m at Warwick Farm on Saturday.
It’s a fantastic feeling when plans come off. She is a terrific filly and will be so much better as she matures and develops but to have already recorded such a wonderful resume off her first preparation is something special.
We could not have realistically achieved much more than we have with Secret Delight. A lovely filly that looks to have terrific upside and a financially exciting future. Yes it would have been nice to have won the Rosebud but realistically, at the moment we can't beat She’s A Fox. Credit where it's due but we were sensational in defeat. She was held up for a vital moment as the field swung for home behind the wayward Victorian visitor. That gave She’s A Fox and Urquidez a vital 2 lengths head start and whilst She’s a Fox kept going, it certainly cost us second placing as the margin on the line was narrowed to just a head on a track that was far too hard due to the terrible winds.
David Payne reported she has pulled up very well after the run. He said “She’s Tough.” Nothing upsets her; she is an honest, sound filly, especially for a baby !
After all, she is a filly foaled on the 13th November, so is at such a physical disadvantage at this stage of her development. She will keep getting better as she matures.
Before we had even trialled this time in, had I said to the owners that after 5 runs in her first preparation, their filly will have started 5 times for 2 wins, 2 thirds (and a desperately unlucky run on debut where she was knocked out of the race at the start), and she would have won $107,900 prizemoney, as a 2yo she will have been a dual city winner and also dual city placed and importantly, their filly will earn black type and be worth approximately $100,000 when she retires, rightly they would have felt ecstatic.
Congratulations to them, that's what their filly has done ! It’s a $200,000 result !
After 5 races, for a late foal we have achieved marvelous things. The sensible approach now is to protect her and send her to the spelling paddock.
The benefits for pushing on for one more run are significantly outweighed by the risks.
She has won her black type. Now as we approach the start of Spring, she will benefit from time in the paddock. She will have a growth spurt, strengthen and mature. This will give David Payne a far more mature filly to work with in the Autumn.
The Silver Shadow was not going to suit Secret Delight. It's a Set Weights race and she carries the same as She's A Fox who has beaten her 3.8 lengths both her contests. She also would meet others where she would normally get weight relief in handicaps.
To run against those horses under Set Weights the best we could hope for is a minor black type placing. The risk of injury or poor performance due to racing fatigue or to induce development of arthritic concussion issues after pushing on from such a tough run on a rock hard good 2 track surface, is simply not worth the risk especially as it has all come in her first preparation.
We have a valuable racing and breeding commodity now. Going forward on the racetrack, we would safely assume if all things remain equal, we have the opportunity of some good times ahead. When she is older and at a further trip up to 1600m, she will be better suited as a daughter of Encosta De Lago from a Thunder Gulch mare.
Whilst as a broodmare upon racetrack retirement, she has created enough value and commercial appeal on the pedigree page that her foals when bred correctly will make automatic Easter or MM Premier sales.
On what she has done so far, her value now for stud duties as a maiden mare would be worth approximately $100,000. Added to the prizemoney won, this preparation has been a total commercial windfall of about $200,000.
Obviously, she has significant earning potential to come and if we can add further black type, especially a win, her value will skyrocket the way she is so well conformed and is so well bred. All commercial breeders would love to get their hands upon her.
SECRET DELIGHT has become a perfect mare for all Danehill line sires.
SECRET DELIGHT (be Encosta De Lago) is a dual 2yo winning Stakes Placed daughter of DIVINE SECRET. She ran 3rd in the Gr1 Blue Diamond and the Gr3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes. She is a ½ sister to SP POSEIDON’S SECRET. Her dam was the Stakes Winner PRAYERFUL and she is a Full Sister to SW EXCITED ANGEL (dam of SW AQUIVER and SP PROVOKES) and a ½ sister to SW TYPHOON and SP GLORY BE, PARIS SNOB and NARCISSE.
Dynamic Syndications purchased the filly at the 2011 Magic Millions for $120,000 as Lot 126 from the draft of Coolmore Stud.
So the time has come to "Reward her For her Efforts" and give Secret Delight a well deserved break. She will head to the paddock on Tuesday.