Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Byford trainer Katja Warwick and champion reinsman Chris Lewis heaped praise on Fly To Fame after the small two-year-old had surged home from last at the 500m to win the 2130m www.sefsolutions.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“She is real little goer, determined and very honest,” said Lewis. “She shows such dedication and her willingness to compete is outstanding,” said Warwick. “If she was a student, you would want fifty of them.”
Fly To Fame was the $1.40 favourite from barrier six in the field of seven, and Lewis was content to allow her to settle at the rear while the polemarker Seagrass ($5) was setting a moderate pace after withstanding an early challenge from $31 outsider Alexandra Thegreat.
Cabsav, the $9 third fancy, raced at the rear with Fly To Fame before Shannon Suvaljko set her alight with 650m to travel and she burst to the front 150m later.
Lewis followed Cabsav’s three-wide burst before Fly To Fame was pushed out four wide half-way down the back straight. Lewis did not panic, and he steadied Fly To Fame, who sustained a strong finishing burst to hit the front 60m from home and went on to win by 2m from Cabsav.
“Fly To Fame will have another run in a fortnight before going for a spell,” said Warwick. The filly is by Follow The Stars and is out of the Bettors delight mare Chevrons Champion, who raced 95 times for 15 wins, 25 placings and stakes of $171,957. Chevrons Champion won twice in New Zealand and 13 times in Western Australia.