The Patrick Payne-trained Cherry Tortoni remained unbeaten after trumping his rivals in Saturday’s Listed Kennedy Taj Rossi Series Final while the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-prepared Sense Of Honour was equally impressive landing the AAMI Next Generations Sprinters’ Series Final.
Cherry Tortoni was a debut winner at Sale in May and was then successful at Flemington ahead of a triumphant return on Saturday with Billy Egan again successful combining with the talented chestnut.
He also boasts the pedigree to instil further confidence in his future prospects as his dam Tortoni is a half-sister to the multiple top-flight winner Tie The Knot (Nassipour {USA}), who won 21 victories including a remarkable four editions of the G1 Chipping Norton S.
Night Of Thunder (Ire), sire of Cherry Tortoni | Standing at Darley Europe
They are out of the G1 Thousand Guineas winner Whisked (Whiskey Road {USA}), who also produced black type winners Hood (Shamardal {USA}) and Dream Ballad (Singspiel {Ire}).
Cherry Tortoni is raced by breeders Sandy Tait and his sister Jill Nivison and carries the colours made famous by the mighty Tie The Knot.
Payne played his part
Another connection to the star galloper of the late 1990s is Cherry Tortoni’s trainer Patrick Payne, who rode Tie The Knot to win three Group 1 events, including his last two successes in the Chipping Norton.
While Payne’s current rising star may not reach those dizzy heights, he looks more than capable of footing it in the age group majors later in the year.
As has been customary, Cherry Tortoni settled off the pace before Egan moved away from the fence across the top and once into the clear wound up powerfully to down Alycone (Teofilo {Ire}).
Payne will now give his young charge a break and look for a suitable 1600 metre race to kick off his next preparation and one that he believes could end with a crack at the G1 VRC Derby.
Rookie trainer and AFL coaching legend Dennis Pagan enjoyed a satisfying start to his career when his first runner Johnny Get Angry (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) finished a sound third at odds of 100-1.
“You can’t beat good luck, can you? He was held up for a while and when he got out he was terrific." - Dennis Pagan
“You can’t beat good luck, can you? He was held up for a while and when he got out he was terrific,” Pagan said. “It really gives us a positive outlook for the future and there’s an 1800 metre race for him in a fortnight.
“It’s early days yet and he’s run third so you can’t get too carried away, but it’s exciting to have my first runner at Flemington and just like playing my first game of footy.”
Distance question mark
Price is confident Sense Of Honour will be a player in major 3-year-old races in the spring, but he’s yet to decide what will be her optimum trip.
She signed off her juvenile campaign in fine style with a dominant front-running display to win the AAMI Next Generation Sprinters’ Series Final at Flemington.
Sense Of Honour has been taken along quietly by the Caulfield stable, having won on debut at Sandown in the summer and following a break she was fourth at The Valley before returning to winning ways on Saturday.
“She’s a black type filly, but whether she is a Thousand Guineas type or we keep her to sprints, I’m just not sure yet,” Price said.
“She needs a bit of a break and she might go down and do some flat work in the arena just to keep her active during the winter because we’ve got to make a spring filly of her now.
“It’s the wrong time of the year to keep her going and it’s also the wrong time of the year to spell her. We’ll just play around and keep her mentally active and aim her at the spring.”
“We’ll just play around and keep her mentally active and aim her at the spring.” – Mick Price
Sense Of Honour made all the running and put the issue beyond doubt when she surged clear when asked for an effort by rider Ben Melham 200 metres off the post. Savannah Cloud (NZ) (Savabeel) finished off well to take second money ahead of Standoff (Smart Missile).
“What’s interesting is you have chats with the really good jockeys, and Ben Melham is one of them, and I still wouldn’t have known where she was going to be in the run after talking to him,” Price said.
“As he said, just let me feel my way with her and ride her like a really good filly. I don’t know that’s the ideal way to ride her, bowling along with nothing in front of her.
Sense Of Honour as a yearling
“She was still good enough, but I think she’s better when there’s a bit more speed on and she can attack the line. Regardless of that, she’s good enough to do both at the moment.
“She was there to get run down today, but she was strong enough but I don’t reckon that’s the way to ride her.”
Sense Of Honour is a half-sister to the multiple winner and Group 2 placegetter Serious Liaison (Zoffany {Ire}) and they are out of the 2-year-old winner and stakes performer Little Miss Smiley (Husson {Arg}).
The filly was purchased by Phoenix Thoroughbreds for $340,000 at the Inglis Australian Yearling Sale where she was offered by Coolmore.
