Another two-year-old race and another confirmed entry into the Group 1 Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) with the Chris Waller trained Frankel filly Hungry Heart winning the $200,000, Group 2 Drinkwise Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.
The chestnut filly was racing for just the second time and she won belying that lack of experience with a strong last to first sustained run that took her into the Slipper if Waller and connections decide she will take her place in the March 21st spectacle.
James McDonald eased Hungry Heart out of barrier seven and settled last as the $2.30 favourite Stellar Pauline and Brenton Avdulla went to the lead after crossing from barrier five. Stellar Pauline was comfortably in the lead as they swung into the main straight and up the hill after the 400m.
Stellar Pauline was still leading at the 200m, however, Hungry Heart was on the way after McDonald had taken her to the outside of the field and proceeded down the middle of the track. Hungry Heart went by the leader with 175m to travel and she went away to a 3/4L winning margin.
Stellar Pauline (Not A Single Doubt) and Avdulla kept second with Dismissal (Not A Single Doubt) and Rachel King coming down the rails for third, the margin 2 1/4L. Bella Nipotina was fourth a further 1/4L away.
The time was 1.09.64 on the Good 4 track with the final 600m in 34.93. Hungry Heart paid $10.00 on fixed odds and $9.40 on the tote. The filly is at $26.00 with TAB’s Golden Slipper market.
Hungry Heart and James McDonald passing Stellar Pauline and Brenton Avdulla, picture Sportpix.com.au
“She will be better in six months’ time, hopefully she is good enough in three weeks’ time. It is a good position to be in, we know we have a very good horse but I think there’s a lot to work with and her breeding will suggest as a three-year-old it will be when she starts to come into her own,” said Waller.
“We had thoughts of her being a good filly for a while. We thought enough of her to send her to Melbourne thinking maybe she is a Blue Diamond chance but after she ran a good second we thought we would leave the Blue Diamond and see how she ran today and she could tell us where she wants to go. And likewise see how she pulls up later in the week to see if she goes to a Slipper.
“She certainly was not wound up to win today and the way she did it was very impressive. She is pretty talented, that is for sure. Good on the Yulong team for putting everything together and getting her here and it is a pleasure to be training a horse like her,” he said.
“She will feel better in the Sires. She is very raw but has plenty of ability as she displayed today,” said McDonald.
“From about the 300m onwards (on winning) because I knew she had sustained speed. Once I was so close to the eventual leader, it was all over red rover.“
Hungry Heart is a Northern Hemisphere conceived filly and South Hemisphere foaled out of the Pivotal mare Harlech for Yu Long Investments.
Hungry Heart ran over 1000m at Flemington on January 11th for second and she was sent back to Sydney to prepare for Saturday and an eventual decision after the win on where she heads to next.
McDonald congratulates Hungry Heart, picture Sportpix.com.au
What the beaten jockeys said:
Jye McNeil (Bella Nipotina): ‘Good honest effort. I think the team are thinking about bringing her back in distance and that should suit her better.’
Brenton Avdulla (Stellar Pauline): ‘She ran honest. It wasn’t the plan to lead but she jumped so well and we were going slowly so it was going to do more harm coming back. The other horse was too good for her today.’
Jason Collett (Queen Kay): ‘Nice run in transit but didn’t finish off.’
Tommy Berry (Tilia Rose): ‘The distance was always going to be a query with her today after winning over 900m. I think today proved 1000m is her go.’
Tim Clark (Harmonium): ‘She tried hard but I don’t think we saw the best of her today.’
Rachel King (Dismissal): ‘She ran a huge race. She’s only going to get better when she gets over further as well.’
Sweet Embrace Stakes, photo finish picture ATC
