Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Prospective buyers missed a bargain at last year’s APG Perth yearling sale when they showed little interest in lot 368 who was passed in when nobody wanted to buy her, and the Downbytheseaside filly failed to reach her reserve price of $30,000.
Subsequently, the filly, the second foal out of Group 1 winner Tenniele Erin and named Seaside Serenade, was bought by prominent owner Albert Walmsley, who will be looking forward to a strong performance from her in the $250,000 Group 1 Trotsynd Diamond Classic for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Interestingly, Seaside Serenade, bred by Kevin Charles, is following in the footsteps of the New South Wales-bred Tenniele Erin, who was owned by Charles and was passed in after failing to reach her reserve price of $12,000 at the 2016 WA yearling sale.
Charles then decided to race Tenniele Erin, who was trained by Justin Prentice and won the Group 1 Sales Classic for two-year-old fillies in April 2017 when she led from the No. 3 barrier and beat breeze runner Lady de la Renta.
After that Charles sent Tenniele Erin to Victoria to be prepared by Emma Stewart, and after three wins in minor events there the filly was retired to the breeding barn with a record of 14 starts for five wins, seven placings and stakes of $88,180.
Seaside Serenade is prepared by Ryan Bell and has been driven at her five starts by Liam Elliott for four wins, one third placing and $89,073 in prizemoney as well bonuses.
Bell produced Seaside Serenade in fine fettle for her first-up run after a five-month absence in a heat of the Diamond on Monday of last week in which she was involved in a scorching early pace and then raced without cover in the middle stages, before taking the lead 400m from home and finishing third behind Im Catastrophic and Some Dancer.
“They don’t go any quicker in any grade like first 200 metres when Seaside Serenade and Scandaleyes were flying in the qualifying heat,” said Bell.
“And then Seaside Serenade worked in the breeze, and it took them (the first two placegetters) all the length of the straight to get past her. You couldn’t have asked much more from her effort, and I am in awe of how well she has bounced back from that run.
“Her task this week is not a simple one and she will have her work cut out. But she is pretty slick off the gate, and she has options at the start.”
Seaside Serenade is favourably drawn at barrier two but is not certain of bursting straight to the front, with the polemarker All Out Of Aces also a speedy beginner who won the start from barrier three and set the pace before winning from Seaspirit over 1730m three starts ago.
All Out Of Aces finished a well-beaten second to Ilikeitlikethat in a qualifying heat when she raced wide early and then in the breeze. All Out Of Aces, to be driven by Trent Wheeler, is one of four runners in the race who are prepared by Serpentine trainer Dylan Egerton-Green.
Egerton-Green has chosen to drive heat winner Nevele Arma, who will start from the outside of the back line. His other runners are Some Dancer (Mitch Miller; barrier seven) and Arvannas Wish (Chris Lewis; barrier nine).
Nevele Arma impressed when she began from the No. 1 barrier in a heat and set the pace before winning by three lengths from Pocket Of Dreams, who fought on strongly after racing without cover.
Some Dancer trailed the pacemaker Scandaleyes in a heat and was hampered for room in the late stages when second to Im Catastrophic, who is one of two runners in Friday night’s final who are trained by Murray Lindau, the other being Our Robyn Hood. Lindau’s runners will begin from the back line.
Ilikeitlikethat, to be driven by Deni Roberts for trainers Greg and Skye Bond, is awkwardly drawn at barrier six. But she cannot be underestimated after winning easily at her two appearances after resuming from a spell.
She led from barrier three in a heat and won by three lengths from All Out Of Aces nine nights after finishing strongly from sixth at the bell to win by more than four lengths from Funny As over 2190m at Northam.
“Six is not a great draw but it’s not the end of the world,” said Roberts. “She’s versatile but she needs the speed to be on early. She has been driven forward in all her races, but she can come from behind, too.
“Her work behind the scenes has been really good and she has been a lot more on the bit at her past two track runs at home.”
Trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo, who drove hot favourite Wishing Belle to victory in last year’s Diamond Classic, has two runners in the big race on Friday night, Modest Molly (barrier five) and Bush Queen (three). He will handle speedy beginner Modest Molly, and Joey Suvaljko will drive Bush Queen.