Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
The rich classics for two-year-olds later this year will be the main targets for promising Foreclosure filly Wanea, who was most impressive in scoring an easy victory in the $20,250 SEFS Asset Finance Specialists Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Trainer-reinsman Donald Harper was delighted with Wanea’s performance in defeating the $1.90 favourite Flametree by just under three lengths, with $16 chance Fly To Fame finishing fast to be third.
Harper said that the main targets for Wanea this year would be the $100,000 Diamond Classic on August 19 and the $225,000 Westbred Classic on September 16.
The $30,000 Gold Bracelet for two-year-old fillies will be run next Friday night, but Harper is unlikely to run Wanea in this event.
“I think Wanea will go out for a break now and have a month off before being prepared for the major classics,” said Harper.
Wanea, a $23.40 chance from the outside barrier (No. 8) on Friday night, mustered abundant early pace to dash past Sweet Vivienne ($6) to the front after 250m, and she then dictated terms with quarters of 29.6sec., 32.3sec., 28.7sec. and 28.4sec.
“Once she got to the front, I was quite confident,” said Harper. “I had predicted she would run a good race in the Sales Classic a week earlier, but she galloped soon after the start and finished ninth behind Cabsav.
“From barrier three in the Sales Classic we were planning to sit her one-out and one-back, behind Between The thorns. But she copped a bit of a bump at the start which put her off. And there were a couple of mitigating factors as well, and she lost her footing and galloped.”
Harper said that Wanea had been working as good as smart stablemates Quartzz and Quattrose, who made excellent debuts at Gloucester Park on February 8 when Quartzz won and Quattrose finished second. Wanea also made her debut in that event and performed soundly in finishing fourth.
Wanea, who was purchased by Kerry Watson for $15,000 at the 2020 APG Perth yearling sale, has now earned $14,381 from a win, two fourths and a ninth from four starts. Watson paid $8500 for Half Kidding at the 2020 Perth APG yearling sale, and the filly showed plenty of early promise, finishing third behind Valhalla Miss and Extraordinary Mary in the group 1 Sales Classic last year. Wanea is the second foal out of the Yankee Sensation mare All About Pink, who earned $85,450 from nine wins and 18 placings from 86 starts, which included a good fourth behind Libertybelle Midfrew in the 2014 WA Oaks.