Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Wonderful To Fly, WA’s three-year-old Filly of the Year in 2022, made a superb return to racing after a 20-week absence when she scored a splendid victory in the $26,000 SEFS The Asset Finance Specialists Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
She was the $2.30 favourite ($1.80 on the fixed market) , drawn at barrier No. 4, with the brilliant, in-form mare Nevermindthechaos at barrier five.
Pinjarra trainer Shane Young got Wonderful To Fly away to a smart start and she led for the first 950m before Gary Hall Jnr sent Nevermindthechaos to the front, leaving Simply Shaz ($18) in the breeze.
Young bided his time before taking Wonderful To Fly off the pegs 240m from home, and she overhauled Nevermindthechaos 40m from the post and beat that mare by a half-length, rating 1.54.8 over the 2130m. The final quarters were run in 28.5sec. and 28sec. Simply Shaz fought on to finish a distant third, just ahead of $7 chance Sheez Our Hope.
“My intention was to lead all the way, but Junior (Hall) had made it clear that he was going to try to outstay Wonderful To Fly. I then did the right thing for a change by surrendering the lead,” said Young.
“For a while I was concerned that I might not be able to get out. But Junior’s mare ran along and gave me the opportunity to get out. I then thought she would win, but when she got outside of Nevermindthechaos she struggled a bit. However, she dug in late and has done a big job.
“It’s a different ball game, going into Free-For-All company, first-up. I reckon she will improve on what she’s done tonight when she has broken 1.55, raced against good mares, taken a bit of pressure and was good enough to win.
“She gives me the impression by the way she has come back after a spell that she will furnish into a nice horse. I will nominate for the Empress Stakes next Friday night, and four days after that she will run in the APG Gold Bullion heats for four-year-old mares before she has a week off and then get ready for the $50,000 final on May 12.”
The sky now seems the limit for Wonderful To Fly, who has had 35 starts for 22 wins, six placings and $427,225, as well as several thousand more dollars in bonuses.