Written by Paul Vettise
Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr have their eyes firmly on Classic prizes after winning important Group 3 lead-ups on their home track at Caulfield on Saturday.
They produced Daisies to claim the Schweppes Ethereal S. ahead of a tilt at the G1 VRC Oaks and a race later stablemate Gunstock (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) landed the G3 Neds Classic on his way to the G1 VRC Derby.
Daisies (Sebring) has a pedigree that boasts winning Oaks form and a strong performance suggests she can add to the family roll of honour.
Daisies and Damian Lane | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
The filly also led off a posthumous black-type double for former Widden Stud stallion Sebring, whose daughter Fangirl won the Listed Reginald Allen Quality at Randwick a quarter of an hour later.
Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Daisies shed her maiden tag in style over the 2000 metres after rider Damian Lane made a telling move to urge her to the front 1000 metres from home when the pace dropped out of the event.
She travelled comfortably in front and, as her breeding would indicate, never looked like stopping in the straight to score with a healthy measure of authority.
Mick Price
“Damian was smart enough to know how stupidly slow they were going and to seize the race,” Price said. “He was deep early and I felt it was a big tick for D. Lane.”
While Daisies had been winless in her first four outings, there were signs of encouragement when she finished fifth in the G2 Tranquil Star S. over 1400 metres and sixth in the G2 Edward Manifold S. over 1600 metres.
Widden graduate
Daisies was bred by Widden Stud and purchased out of its draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock for $250,000.
She is a daughter of Tigress Lily (Snitzel), a four-time winner, and she is out of Empress Lily (Zabeel {NZ}), who finished third in the G1 VRC Oaks.
Daisies as a yearling
The second dam is the former top-class performer Tycoon Lil (NZ) (Last Tycoon {Ire}), whose three Group 1 victories included success in the New Zealand Oaks.
“She is a beautiful, big staying filly and there is a bit of Zabeel in there. She is a clean-winded filly and I would say she will go straight into the G1 VRC Oaks now,” Price said.
He has always been of the opinion that the best of Daisies would be revealed when she got to a middle distance.
“We wanted to get Daisies to 2000 metres here, which is why we never ran her in the G1 Thousand Guineas. Plus, she is still learning and isn’t the quickest out of the gates,” Price said.
“We wanted to get Daisies to 2000 metres here, which is why we never ran her in the G1 Thousand Guineas.” – Mick Price
“I asked Damian to get a man up there with her and see if we could get her out. I didn’t want her out the back and then see her run home promisingly.”
Daisies was clear the post and had 1.75l on Glint Of Hope (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who ran home well after a tardy start.
Biscayne Bay (Sebring), also a Widden Stud graduate, finished third ahead of Morrissette (Pierro) while the favourite Kapalua Sunset (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) was in the trail early before she was shuffled back to last and could only beat three home.
Extra distance ideal
Gunstock was coming off a third placing in the Listed Super Impose S. and, like his stablemate, relished the step up to 2000 metres.
“He needs further and a big track. He had the blinkers on today and didn’t overdo it, which was good," Jent Jnr said. "I have always liked this horse, he’s a beautiful colt and now on to the Derby."
“I have always liked this horse (Gunstock), he’s a beautiful colt and now on to the Derby.” - Michael Kent Jnr
The addition on the headgear proved to be a masterstroke and Gunstock rounded off strongly to beat the filly El Patroness (Shamus Award) and Teewaters (Dundeel {NZ}).
“It was the right time, he’s going to be going up to 2500 metres in the Derby so we wanted to see if they worked or not and they do work with this breed,” Kent Jnr said.
“He is a very laid-back customer and he was almost asleep in the yard. He’s got a huge stride and I really think Flemington will be his go.”
Gunstock was sold by breeders Cambridge Stud at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale to Ohukia Lodge for NZ$80,000 and then made $135,000 when purchased by Import Racing at the Inglis Ready2Race Sale.
Gunstock (NZ) as a 2-year-old
A brother to Group performer The Irishman (NZ), Gunstock is out of Zeranti (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) who is from the family of multiple Group 1 winner Sea Siren (Fastnet Rock).
