From the time the breakers finished educating Dynamic Filly Secret Delight, the team knew we had a filly way above average. Just how good she was would be up to her to show us but in the capable hands of astute horseman David Payne, we knew the filly would be polished and sparkle the best she could.
Secret Delight has certainly not let any of the team down. After debuting in a very strong 2yo race where upon jumping she was badly hampered and squirted out the back, the filly found herself more than a dozen lengths from the speed on settling and then, as she started to improve she was in a zip tight pocket and went to the line without being extended. I still can remember young Chad Schofield coming back after that and saying “don’t be disheartened, she will win next start.”
Those words proved true, as the filly jumped up to 1250m in mid-week class on a heavy track in driving rain. The bookies and media gave her no hope but we were supremely confident. She gave nothing else a chance that day. She went to the front and won easily even having the luxury to be eased down the final 50m, landed some big results for her owners.
With the city win on the board after 2 starts, the time had come to challenge the filly to determine what class level she was at. Jumping up to Saturday class, we had two options. The logical and illogical. Move up 50m to a 1300m event or back 250m to 1000m. 99.9% of people in the business would say go up to the 1300m. However we had bigger plans in mind. To achieve these we had to manage her welfare because she is a late foal and was giving away so much in maturity.
The vibe from the trainer and track riders was such that, we believed we had a filly capable of being competitive in the early Spring black type races. Our whole aim was to add residual value to her pedigree page for her career and commercial value after racing.
Assessing which way we wanted to head with Secret Delight in the early Spring, the best options mapped out for us was illogical for most punters and media types, going back to the 1000m. From our perspective, this would allow David Payne to freshen the filly and be kind to her leading into the race. Also this would give us the appropriate lead in races for the Spring.
This was executed successfully and the result was a tough win against well found opposition. She had no rights on paper and form guides to win that race. Thank goodness horses can’t read. More importantly, her owners got on again at huge odds.
Now with 3 starts for 2 wins, running 1100m, 1250m, 1000m she was on the truck to the spelling paddock for two weeks away from the stable to freshen up mentally and physically. Without a saddle on her back the filly thrived in that short time and returned to the stables recharged.
This gave David 3 weeks to get her ready for her recent race in the Rosebud Qualifier. However we knew that she had been away and was deliberately left with improvement as we aimed at the Spring.
She took on the Rosebud Qualifying for fillies race and ran a superb third place, having just been nosed out for second. Things didn’t pan out that day as we were forced to jump from out wide and had to use a lot of petrol early to get across. That was our deliberate tactic as we felt that the spread of runners in the speed map could see her trapped 4 or 5 wide on a limb with no chance of cover.
Unfortunately this is not the best way to ride the filly as she has so much more talent when allowed to settle off the pace and accelerate. Anyway the die was cast and we went forward and the first furlong was run in a sizzling 10.5 secs. She had mathematically little hope from there. However despite being underdone and using all that petrol early, she fought hard to the line. The winner and the runner-up had the benefit of settling back with cover off the hot speed and got home well as we were running on fumes.
As a 2yo, she had 4 runs, 2 city wins and a city placing adding $97,500 to the bank account.
Now we come into the exciting phase, attempting to earn Black Type.
Her next 2 runs are where we have wanted her to peak. Basically these are her Grand Finals.
When she won at Canterbury we believed she was special. So we identified 2 races. The Rosebud and the either the Silver Shadow 1200m Fillies or the Up and Coming 1300m Open (both the same day).
We are approaching the first of these races with our filly now at her peak. Her work has been superb since her previous run. Last Saturday, she sizzled at trackwork and we could not have been any happier. Her track rider (a well known senior rider) said “They will need to find something going great to beat her”.
We have accepted in the Rosebud a Listed Race over 1200m. Unfortunately for us there was only 6 acceptors and one of these has already been scratched. So we are in a field of 5 at the time of writing this story. We would have preferred a few more in the field to give the race a genuine tempo and allow us to get back and find cover. However that’s a bit difficult here with only 4 other competitors.
Still we are keen to test the filly against this quality opposition.
NOTE: Weights were raised here 0.5kgs after the top weighted horse did not accept. Needing a 58.0kg top weight and Pronto Pronto was at 57.5kgs, all weights up 0.5kgs.
Pronto Pronto (C+ 42%) BM 75 58.0kgs is the Victorian visitor first up here. Nominated for the Caulfield Guineas and Cox Plate connections obviously believe the horse wants a trip as evidenced by his placing in the 1400m Vic Sires Produce last prep. He was beaten over 1000m on debut then won a mid week race at Sandown before stepping up to the 1400m. He has to get over the road trip up to Warwick Farm. He has to carry 58.0kgs and give She’s a Fox 2.0kgs and Secret Delight 3.0kgs. I am confident the horse is very good because otherwise the connections wouldn’t risk a horse like this first up. However it’s a big ask to start a preparation.
She’s A Fox (A+++) BM 75 56.0kgs (same benchmark but 2.0kgs allowance as a filly) looks to be outstanding and won with authority last run against us. However we do meet her better at the weights and now we have a senior rider on board. Fitter and up to 1200m and without the need to run a sizzling first furlong we are happier with our filly than we were before the previous race. She’s A Fox may have been flattered a little by the early tempo last start and with the leaders stopping the optical illusion of that win may catch a few by surprise. She is second up.
Secret Delight (A+ 597%) BM 73 55.0kgs
Urquidez (A 453%) BM 69 55.0kgs. Should get 2kgs off Secret Delight for a Bm 69 (4 points) + add 2.0kgs for being a colt = Same weight as Secret Delight. Trained at Warwick Farm is always an advantage and he is a last start winner of the males Rosebud Qualifier. Whilst the time was about 5 lengths slower than the fillies that was due mainly to the sizzling early pace Secret Delight set in the fillies race that simply could not be sustained. However in running third to She’s A Fox, on times Secret Delight still ran 1.1 lengths faster than Urquidez and they were carrying the same weight.
Red Dynamite (A 187%) BM 57 is the query. His true handicap weight is 18 points off the top weight colt Pronto Pronto that is 9 kgs which is 49.0kgs and 12 points which is 6.0 kgs off Urquidez which is 49.0kgs. However he must carry 54.5kgs here so 5.5kgs (3.6 lengths) over true weight. His trainer is very confident and has the services of Corey Brown who went to Goulburn to ride him on debut. He jumped from barrier 12 on a Dead 5 rated track and led throughout to win a colts and geldings maiden by 3.8 lengths. However that is bush form and nothing has popped out of that race as yet. They did run 1:11.89 and got home in 37.62. The other division ran 7 lengths slower overall but did get home 3 lengths faster which is important. Obviously he will have improved off that start on 27 July but he would also need too. He is jumping from country maiden class to stakes class. However Tim Martin is as sharp as a tack and wouldn’t have him in this race unless he thought he could win.
In summary it will be an intriguing race. Many questions will be answered. Such as: Is She’s A Fox a superstar or will this smaller style of filly struggle second up with that weight?
Is Secret Delight at a level to be competitive at this grade? She has been set for this run. Will that make a difference? Will she earn the much sought after Black Type?
Is Pronto Pronto’s formlines good enough? Will he handle the Sydney way? Will they be too sharp for him? Is the weight too much first up?
Is Red Dynamite as good as they think? Was he just well placed in the bush on debut? Can he jump from a bush restricted maiden to Stakes Class and carry 5.5kgs over his true weight ?
Is Urquidez well treated at the weight? Has he got the class to beat She’s A Fox ? Can he find that much improvement second up ? Off a slower tempo can he give away that type of head start.
Are the girls badly treated against the boys here?
Then it will be a battle of tactics. Who will lead? Who will trail? With rain forecast will the rail be off as per normal? Will Pronto Pronto lay out under pressure from barrier 1? With the heavy winds forecast, how will the riders want to travel in transit?
The answers will be unveiled after the race. We wish all our owners and connections the very best of luck on the day. Tommy Berry is riding our filly and it’s the first time we have had a senior on board. We wish Tommy the best of luck in transit as well.
EARLY BETTING MARKET
She’s A Fox $1.80, Urquidez $4.20, Red Dynamite & Pronto Pronto $6.50, Secret Delight $26.00
RATINGS:
She’s A Fox $1.10, Secret Delight $21.00, Urquidez $51,000, Red Dynamite & Pronto Pronto $101.00
* With Favourite Scratched Ratings:
Secret Delight $2.00, Urquidez $3.00, Pronto Pronto $10,00, Red Dynamite $14,00
COMPUTER RATINGS:
She’s A Fox $2.20, Red Dynamite $4.00, Urquidez $5.00, Secret Delight $6.50, Pronto Pronto $10.00
* With Favourite Scratched Ratings:
Red Dynamite $2.40, Urquidez $3.20, Secret Delight $3.90, Pronto Pronto $6.00
Best Career Performance: She's A Fox, Pronto Pronto, Urquidez, Secret Delight
Best Current Form: She's A Fox, Urquidez, Secret Delight, Red Dynamite
Best Times: Secret Delight, She's A Fox
In Review: We take on a near impossible task to win but racing is built on dreams and uncertainty. Mathematically we should not be able to beat She’s A Fox if that filly brings her A Game. However we know we are ready for this. It’s our Grand Final. It's what we have worked towards. Its about the black type. We have managed the filly as best we can. She is polished up and sparkling. This will be a good test for her at this stage for such a young filly.
Happy to take on the Victorian – That seems a very hard task they are setting him. Happy to take on Red Dynamite at 5.5kgs over his true weight scale. Happy to take on Urquidez at level weights having run faster times last week and he will give us a head start in the run. Happy to test if She’s a Fox has a chink in her armour second up.
With luck – who knows ?
Fit, Well Ready = She will run the best she can. We are happy in our own position. If that is good enough then happy days - If not, at least we gave it our best shot.
Fingers crossed we can earn some black type !