Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
It’s full steam ahead for champion filly Wonderful to Fly, who stretched her winning sequence to ten when she outclassed her eleven rivals in the Group 1 $100,000 TABtouch Westbred Classic for three-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“She will be back here in two weeks for the Daintys Daughter Classic,” said part-owner and trainer-reinsman Shane Young after Wonderful to Fly, the $1.40 favourite coasted to a 10m victory over a gallant $4.60 second fancy Little Darling, who fought on gamely after working hard in the breeze. Dontbesillychilli ($34) ran on from sixth at the bell to be third.
Wonderful To Fly started from the inside of the back line and she settled down at the rear while $71 chance Champagne Everyone dashed to an early lead from barrier three before Free Wheeling ($14) took over the role of pacemaker 450m after the start.
After a solid lead time of 36.7sec. the first quarter of the final mile was run in a smart 29.2sec. Young gave Wonderful to Fly plenty of time to settled own and he was able to ease the filly off the inside in the first circuit before sending her forward after a lap. She sprinted brilliantly and charged to the front with 1200m to travel and was not extended in running the final three 400m sections in 30.6sec., 29sec. and 28.1sec.
She rated 1.56 over the 2130m and improved her record for owners Young, his daughter Alison, Peter Bloxome, Roslyn Boterhoven De Haan, Susan Waters, Syd Chilton, Kerry Drage, Kevin Egerton-Green and John Giles to 31 starts for 21 wins, six placings and stakes of $409,183.
“I thought that I’d be able to get to the breeze after they had gone quick early,” said Young. “And then when we came out, she really took charge and went around on her own accord while I had a good hold of her. She went terrific, and we will be back here in a fortnight for the Daintys Daughter Classic, leading into the $150,000 WA Oaks on October 14.”
For the 59-year-old Young this was his fifth Group 1 success as a driver, following wins with Miss Placed in the Sires final for two-year-olds in June 2007, Trigmart in the State Sires Series final for three-year-old colts and geldings in July 2011, Rosies Ideal in the Westbred Classic for three-year-old fillies in June 2018 and Wonderful To Fly in the Westbred Classic for two-year-old fillies in June 2021. He trained all but Miss Placed for those victories.
Apart from her two Group 1 successes, Wonderful to Fly has also won three Group 2 events and two Group 3 races.