Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
“It’s pretty exciting times, and we’re looking forward to next Friday,” said trainer Luke Edwards after August Moon had coasted to an easy victory in the 2130m Mates Stick Together Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
August Moon, the $2.60 second fancy, ran a most impressive trial for next Friday night’s $50,000 Sales Classic for three-year-old fillies when she raced in last position in the field of six before Gary Hall Jnr eased her off the pegs 1300m from home and overhauled the pacemaker and $1.65 favourite Fly To Fame at the 220m mark on her way to winning, untouched, by 4m from the wilting Fly To Fame.
After Fly To Fame had set an extremely slow pace with a lead time of 40.4sec. and opening quarters of 32.3sec. and 30.5sec. August Moon sped over the final 400m sections in 28.5sec. and 28sec.
“Going into the race I wanted August Moon to finish in the best possible spot without having a gut buster,” said Edwards. “She won easily first-up a fortnight earlier and then we were very easy on her at home.
“I’m always cautious going into a race with the possibility of the second-up blues. We haven’t really screwed her down yet. But she managed to overhaul the leader pretty well.
“Considering that Fly To Fame ran the last half in 55.8sec. when she raced in the breeze and finished second to August Moon two weeks ago, she had her chance to beat us tonight (starting from the No. 1 barrier). After the race Junior was full of praise for August Moon.”
August Moon is by American stallion Captaintreacherous and is out of the New Zealand mare My Samantha Jane, who earned $166,426 from15 wins, 21 placings from 72 starts. She was a smart juvenile who won four times as a three-year-old in 2014.