| Despite facing one of the
better two-year-old fillies races of the season, West Coast bred, owned and trained filly
Cherry Bay has the chance to quickly graduate to city class by winning Saturday's Events
Corp SA Handicap down the straight 1000 metres at Victoria Park. Punters are expected to find it difficult to line up the form of the
filly after scoring a nine and a half length win at Port Lincoln on debut on February 7.
No two-year-old has scored such an effortless win at Port
Lincoln since the second and third starts of the present day Adelaide iron horse Manetti.
There may not have been much opposition in her Lincoln event,
however she could not have been more impressive for connections. After jumping out of the
barriers with a couple of other runners she eventually broke clear of those runners before
exploding clear at the top of the home straight.
Her jockey at Port Lincoln Paul Gatt had the easiest ride of
his career he hardly had to move on the filly as she bounded home to win by panels.
The filly is trained by part time diver Darryl Carrison, the
son-in-law of last year's Magic Millions winning trainer Byron Cozamanis.
Cherry Bay was bred by Lock based farmer Gerald Schlink, a
man who must be close to marrying his broodmare Twig 'n' Wonder.
While New Zealand had Eight Carat, the West Coast has Twig
'n' Wonder. Sure they might be a world apart but while Eight Carat was Sir Patrick Hogan's
favourite girl (bar Lady Justine), Twig 'n' Wonder is certainly Gerald Schlink's favourite
female!
A daughter of Twig Moss, Twig 'n' Wonder has been a gem for
Schlink at her home near then small and serene Eyre Peninsula town of Lock.
The mare's first foal by Mustin Lake was named Lake Newland
and he was one of the state's hardiest sprinters for a number of years. Following in his
footsteps were the above average performers Round Lake, Front Beach, Merry Cash and Blue
Wonder.
There's also a rosy future for Schlink's girl. She currently
has a yearling filly by Sandpit, while her latest addition to the family is a striking
young colt by Sunday Silence's Derby winning son Tayasu Tsuyoshi. She is now in foal to
the hardy Lakewood Stud based stallion Bellotto.
The hardest for Cherry Bay to beat on Saturday appears to be
the Dan O'Sullivan trained Bella Vichy. On debut earlier in the season the daughter of
Bahamian Bounty finished a close second to the classy Danehill youngster Presumed
Innocent. Then she was popped over the border and look on listed company at Moonee Valley.
On this occasion she finished second, beaten some four lengths by a first start winner Bel
Esprit.
While both Presumed Innocent and Bel Esprit are running for
the huge money in the $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield, Bella Vichy is staying
in Adelaide to race for the $20,000 prize at Victoria Park.
The other horse with race experience that looks hard to beat
is the Len Smith trained filly Wanna Play Chicken. At her most recent start the daughter
of Gallo di Ferro had no luck when she finished fourth after her saddle slipped badly and
her rider (Michael Hoppo) was badly affected and was unable to ride the filly out to the
line.
There are eight unraced horses in the race led by the
impressive recent trial performers Fuji Lass, Marlborough Girl and Quick Trick.
Fuji Lass is one of the most interesting first starters. From
the Greg Lesnikowski stable at Strathalbyn, the filly is by the exciting son of Sunday
Silence, Fuji Kiseki and is out of a Danehill mare who is an unraced sister to the stakes
winning star Vigil. |
