Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Champion filly Wonderful To Fly is on the doorstep of another outstanding season — even better than her record-breaking year of 2021, according to her part-owner, trainer and driver Shane Young.
That’s Young’s confident prediction after Wonderful To Fly produced a superb performance at her second appearance after a spell in scoring an effortless victory in the 2130m Choices Flooring Gift Card Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“To me, that was pretty impressive, running home in 55sec., and she has probably come back better than she was last year,” said Young.
“Tonight, she ran that last half by herself when she started to charge a bit, and I’d prefer it if she would relax a bit more. She might have been a bit fresh because she got away with a bit early, and some horses then want to start to roll by themselves. I didn’t turn the stick on her.”
Wonderful To Fly was a dominant performer as a two-year-old last year when she had 16 starts for nine wins, three placings and stakes of $159,4571. Her wins included the group 1 Westbred Classic, in which she defeated Taking The Miki, and the group 3 Gold Bracelet in which she beat Taking The Miki by 28m.
This year she will be set for several lucrative feature events for three-year-old fillies.
“She will race again in two weeks, in a race for fillies, in which she will draw out wide,” said Young. “Then she might race against the colt the week before the $50,000 Sales Classic for fillies on February 25. She is on target to go well in that race.”
Wonderful To Fly was the $1.40 favourite from the No. 1 barrier on Friday night when she was untroubled to set the pace and win by just over ten metres from the $3.30 second fancy Taking The Miki.
After coasting through the lead time in 38.8sec. and the opening quarters in 31.4sec. and 30.3sec. Wonderful To Fly dashed over the final 400m section in 27.9sec. and 27.1sec. to win at a 1.57.5 rate.