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Ciaron Maher wanted to weigh up options for three-year-old filly Tempted with the Godolphin team after she scored a thrilling maiden group 1 victory over a brave Savvy Hallie in the Surround Stakes (1400m).
A four-time group 2 winner and Everest runner-up, Tempted was a $1.60 favourite on Saturday against her own age and sex but was stretched to her limits by leader Savvy Hallie in an epic battle over the last 150m, prevailing by a long head.
Maher was looking to the TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) against open opposition as a grand final at the start of the campaign.
“It’s great to tick off the group 1 win with her,” Maher said.
“She ran second to the greatest sprinter in the world, so you’d hope that she could do this, but just so thrilled.
“She’s got options now. Originally, I thought [the TJ Smith Stakes] would be the plan, but I’ll sit down with the team and ask them and we’ll work it through.”
Savvy Hallie’s trainer Brad Widdup was proud of his filly and unsure what was next for her, but he all but ruled out the TJ Smith.
“Godolphin beat me again in a group 1 … it’s every time,” Widdup said with a smile.
“Anyway, she tried hard, she was great.”
Slipper picture no clearer
Chris Waller contemplated a spell for Campione D’Italia after “he did everything wrong” when seven lengths last on debut in the Lonhro Plate.
The trainer was rewarded for staying the course on Saturday when the $500,000 Snitzel colt held off stablemate Central Europe by a nose to win the group 2 Skyline Stakes (1200m) as a $41 shot and seal his spot in the $5 million Golden Slipper on March 21.
“We didn’t back off after he did everything wrong. We knew his ability,” Waller said.
“We stuck to our guns, went back to the trials. Good team of track riders at home, just been working on getting him to relax. He’s a kind horse, but he’s just so competitive, so when those barriers open, he wants to get to the bend first and we’ve got to teach him to get to the winning post first. We’re getting there.”
He got there on Saturday, thanks partly to the fast-finishing Central Europe having a disrupted run to the line on debut. Central Europe was $18 for the Slipper before the run and was into second favouritism at $9. He will need, though, to earn a place in the field through the Pago Pago Stakes in two weeks. Campione D’Italia was $51 into $15. Favourite Warwoven finished a half-length away in fourth and remained top pick for the Slipper at $6.
Earlier in the Sweet Embrace (1200m) for the fillies, jockey Zac Lloyd said Spicy Miss gave him the feel of a Slipper horse after she overcame a tricky draw to win to confirm her claims for the main event.
Lloyd, booked to ride Guest House in the Slipper, put the Ciaron Maher-trained Spicy Miss outside leader By Choice from gate seven of eight and she was strong late to hold off Screen Icon by a short neck in a bunched finish.
Spicy Miss was fifth in the Slipper order ($226,375) before the maiden win, after seconds in the Golden Gift and Lonhro Plate.
“I think just her mentality and her will to win is going to take her a long way,” Lloyd said.
“She’s good out of the machine, she does everything right, so that’s going to really help her in a high-pressure race like the Golden Slipper.”
Maher believes Spicy Miss will “make similar improvement again” off the run into the Slipper, where she was $34 into $18.
Stewards questioned James McDonald twice about his ride and the performance of favourite Pembrey, which finished fifth, one and a half lengths off the winner. McDonald was asked why he didn’t push forward to lead. He said he opted to take a sit behind leader By Choice after it began better. Gollan defended the ride and said he didn’t tie McDonald down to any instructions, and Pembrey unfortunately got caught in a pocket.
Peter Snowden-trained King Of Roseau won the last feature on the day, the group 3 Liverpool City Cup.
Portelli with teary eye to Coolmore
Warwick Farm trainer Gary Portelli was looking to the group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) with $30,000 buy Verona Rose after she swept to victory in the group 2 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.
Verona Rose, a $5 chance in the mares race named in honour of the former Warwick Farm trainer, was given a great ride by Craig Williams to beat favourite Manaal by three-quarters of a length.
“I just got a bit emotional a minute ago, I saw Wendy Walter over there,” Portelli said.
“I said, ‘Don’t look at me. I’m going to start crying’ because I’m a sensitive old guy.
“Guy was a great mate to us all at Warwick Farm and he’s sorely missed.
“We were aiming for an Oaks when I first bought her, we thought she has got a pedigree that should run two miles. But she’s brilliant.
“I think the Coolmore, down in the weights, she should be very competitive.”
Inglis lose Winx colt from Easter sale
Winx’s first colt, a son of the late champion stallion Snitzel, has been withdrawn from next month’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale because of a setback.
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Inglis issued a statement on Saturday announcing the loss of its Easter sale headline act. The colt was expected to attract massive interest after Winx’s first live foal, a filly by Pierro, was bought for $10 million at the 2023 sale by part-owner Debbie Kepitis.
“The welfare of our beautiful colt is of paramount importance to us and the veterinary advice is that he will need a period of time to recover appropriately from his setback,” part-owner Peter Tighe said.
“We will give him all the time that he needs. He is in great hands with the team at Coolmore, and we look forward to his race career once he has made a full recovery.”
