By Bren O'Brien
A trio of promising Snitzel youngsters claimed the first three races at Warwick Farm on Wednesday and all look set to elevate to stakes company in the near future.
Expensive filly Evening Slippers was the most high-profile of the winners, prevailing against her fellow 2-year-old fillies over 1000m. The full sister to Group 1 winner Sweet Idea and Group 2 winner Showtime, Evening Slippers cost $1.8m at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale from Arrowfield Stud.
Having placed third when sat outside the leader on debut, this time she led up on the rail under Tim Clark. She was challenged all the way down the straight by Godolphin filly Bollywood (Sepoy) but found enough when needed to secure a 0.2l win, her first of what co-trainer Adrian Bott hopes will be many.
"It was really great to see her dig deep and fight on. The horse to her outside had a fitness advantage on her with the race experience this preparation and I think she is a filly that will improve for us this preparation as she gets over further," he said.
"I think she is a filly that will improve for us this preparation as she gets over further." - Co-trainer, Adrian Bott
Bott, who trains in partnership with Gai Waterhouse, said it was great to continue the association with the family of the filly, having trained Sweet Idea to five stakes successes, including the G1 Galaxy.
"We've had some fantastic memories with Sweet Idea, obviously it’s been a great family to us and this is the filly that reminds us most of her. She's got very similar attributes and is the closest we’ve seen to her sister," he said.
"There's a lot of upside to her going forward from today and hopefully she can live right up to the pedigree."
Bott said Evening Slippers, who is owned by Jon Kelly, Arrowfield, Katsumi Yoshida and James Wiltz, would likely head towards the G2 Percy Sykes S. at Randwick during April.
"I think the race looks ideal for her and that's what we’ve targeted her at. We’ve always thought she was a filly of Slipper potential, but that has come up a bit quick for her. We thought it would be the wrong thing rushing her to that race, so we have just taken our time with her," he said.
Confidence booster for Cardiff
Earlier, $600,000 Inglis Easter colt Cardiff (Snitzel) broke through for his first win at his fourth start in the Aquis Farm colours, showing some real fight to defeat impressive debutant Garrison (I Am Invincible) over 1000m.
Trained by Gerald Ryan, Cardiff had been contesting races in better company, including a last start fifth in the G2 Silver Slipper S.
"They were flying along, but he looked to relax and he was strong at the line." - Gerald Ryan
Lowering the sights saw him secure a confidence boosting win as he knuckled down late to surge past the leader Heart Breaker (I Am Invincible) and then hold off the other Snowden challenger, Garrison, by half a length.
"It was good to see him race a bit more tractable today. They were flying along, but he looked to relax and he was strong at the line," Ryan said.
Cardiff is out of the Listed winner Cariad (Sequalo), the half-sister to stakes-winner Polished Steel, who raced almost exclusively in Queensland. Her colt is also headed north, with Ryan indicating Cardiff would be given a short let-up and be set for black-type races over the Brisbane carnival.
Green dominant on debut
The first race of the day was taken out by another son of Snitzel, in the 3-year-old Green Aeon.
A $300,000 buy from the 2017 Gold Coast sale, the gelding is prepared by Bjorn Baker and showed plenty of strength to lead all the way and defeat the favourite Full Recognition (Smart Missile) by two lengths over the 1200m.
He is a half brother to Group 1 winner Politeness (Street Sense {USA}) and looks to have considerable upside.
