Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Pinjarra trainer-reinsman Shane Young’s assertion that brilliant four-year-old pacer Wonderful To Fly was now bigger, better and stronger than ever before came as a chilling message to the connections of the other mares who will clash with her in next Friday night’s $50,000 Kerry Clarke Free-For-All.
“She is a quality mare who has improved,” said Young after he had driven Wonderful To Fly to a superb victory in the $26,000 Beau Rivage Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Wonderful To Fly, the $1.40 favourite, simply outclassed her rivals when she was driven quietly before taking the lead after 400m and then setting the pace and winning by three lengths from the $2.45 second favourite Steno, who led from barrier one in the early stages when the lead time on a muddy track was a swift 35.2sec.
Wonderful To Fly was not extended as she sped over the final three quarters in 28.6sec., 28.3sec. and 28.2sec. to record a terrific rate of 1.54.3.
“I didn’t go out there to run time,” said Young. “She runs time without any worries. The track was not quick, and we didn’t go hard early.”
Wonderful To Fly has already amassed $512,915 in prizemoney as well as many more thousands of dollars in bonuses from her 26 wins and nine placing from 42 starts. She is certainly one of the best, if not the outright best mare in Australia.
Young, who heads the ownership group of nine, said that no decisions had been reached regarding contesting rich events in Brisbane and Sydney later this year.
There are options aplenty for Wonderful To Fly. “She has received an invitation to run in the $350,000 Rising Sun (2138m) at Albion Park on July 8, and a week after that there is the $150,000 Golden Girl event over 1660m,” said Young.
“If she goes well next week maybe one of the slot holders will have a look at her for the $1.2 million Eureka at Menangle on September 2.”
Everything is up in the air at the moment, with Young well aware of the rich events Wonderful To Fly is eligible to contest at Gloucester Park this year. They include the $50,000 Norms Daughter Classic on November 10, the $150,000 Mares Classic (November 24), the $125,000 Four-Year-Old Classic (December 1) and the $200,000 Golden Nugget (December 15).