It sounds like the Kelso stable did a pretty decent job of keeping the potential of their three-year-old filly Xanadu to themselves before she debuted on her home track on 28 October. Allowed to start third favourite in the field of nine, the Elusive City filly could hardly have been more visually impressive, picking up the pacemaking Pellegrini well into the short Matamata straight, yet still posting a one and a half length winning margin over the promising Baker trained colt.
Helped no doubt by a New Zealand Herald article this morning that talked up the chances of the Savabeel filly Showing Off in todays Rating 65 1400m at Te Aroha, Xanadu was allowed to open at a $4.50 Fixed Odds quote, before firming to start slight favourite at a touch under $4 for her clash with the unbeaten Savabeel filly and a field of predominantly older horses.
Away slowly after reeling slightly from a bump to her head as the starting gates opened, Craig Gryll's quickly used the fillys high cruising speed to recover and take a position close to the pace, before unleashing her on the leaders shortly into the straight, then clearing out under a hands and heals ride for an authorative three and a half length victory that could conceivably have been four and a half to five lengths if Gryll's had felt the urge.
The ability to sprint twice in a race is rare in a thoroughbred, yet the Little Avondale Stud bred filly seems to do it quite effortlessly.
It is a huge class rise from a midweek Rating 65 to tackle Annabandana, Planet Rock and co but Xanadu looks the type of filly that can often come out from seemingly nowhere at this time of the season; the one that has missed the tough age group racing and really measures up in the Filly of The Year events throughout the summer.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment