Written by Paul Vettise
That racing rarity came into play at The Valley where Fascino (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) and La Falaise (Canford Cliffs {Ire)) went at it tooth and nail and couldn’t be separated at the post.
Initially, the former looked to have got in the deciding stride for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, but Henry Dwyer’s La Falaise made the last lunge so the spoils were divided in the G2 Antler Luggage Fillies’ Classic.
“How good is The Valley though, I just coming here and racing here and you’re right on top of it,” Maher said.
“I hate dead-heats and I hate losing, but if I’m going to have to dead-heat with someone I’m glad it’s Henry.”
Fascino was purchased by Maher at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale, paying NZ$400,000 for the filly, who was offered by Windsor Park Stud. She is a daughter of the multiple Group 2 winner and four-time Group 1 placegetter Miss Kipling (NZ) (Savabeel).
She has now won two of her seven starts and given Maher cause to think about a crack at the G1 VRC Oaks.
“That’s still one of the options with Fascino, but I’m not sure she will get the trip,” he said.
“That’s still one of the options with Fascino, but I’m not sure she will get the trip.” – Ciaron Maher
Fascino settle toward the back of the field before she improved three and four wide under jockey Mark Zahra and held a sustained finish to the post.
“She probably needs head gear my girl. She got a bit lost and I thought I might have just held on.” Zahra said.
Fascino (NZ) as a yearling
La Falaise’s trainer was confident his filly had either won or dead-heated.
“I said to Ciaron afterwards is there any danger of you letting me have one,” Dwyer said.
The winner of two of her six starts, La Falaise settled behind the pace and once shed worked into the clear she unwound strongly for rider Ben Melham.
“I said to Ciaron afterwards is there any danger of you letting me have one.” - Henry Dwyer
“I had a good run and when the other horse (Fascino) got rolling I had to wait, but she let strongly and dug deep,” Melham said. “I wasn’t confident, I knew it was very close.”
La Falaise as a yearling
La Falaise is proving to be an outstanding purchase, having cost Forest Lodge Racing just $5000 to secure her out of Blue Gum Farm’s draft at the Inglis Melbourne VOBIS Gold Yearling Sale.
She is a daughter of the Listed St Albans S. winner Exceedingly French (Exceed And Excel) and she is out of a three-quarter sister to the multiple European Group 1 winner Old Vic (GB) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}).
Filly flies to victory
The feature sprint for the fillies, the Listed PFD Food Services Crockets S., was taken out in whirlwind fashion by Broadwayandfourth (Smart Missile). She had won a Ballarat maiden at her previous start and trainer Mitchell Freeedman was confident she could handle the rise in class.
“She’s a cracker and she’s always showed us a lot of ability at home,” he said. “She was strong through the line and I knew she was up to it after giving her a soft trial between runs.”
Broadwayandfourth settled at the tail of the field and when the field fanned out in the straight she powered between runners to beat Niccovi (Nicconi) and Villami (Foxwedge), who had gone clear into the straight.
The winner is a daughter of the Listed Dequetteville S. winner Broadway Harmony (Statue Of Liberty {USA}) and the family of the black type winners No Mischief (Mister C {USA}), Mighty Rossa (Testa Rossa) and Brooklyn Dodger (Century).
