Golden Slipper target for unbeaten Within The Law
The daughter of Lucky Vega headlines brilliant afternoon at Randwick for Baker and Darby
Bjorn Baker and Darby Racing kicked off a successful day of racing at Randwick when impressive filly Within The Law (Lucky Vega) retained her unbeaten record when notching up her second stakes win from as many starts with an emphatic victory in the $500,000 Inglis Nursery (RL, 1100m) at Randwick on Saturday.
The filly was the first leg of a lucrative double for Baker and Darby with a recent stable acquisition Robusto (Churchill) shocking his rivals to win The Ingham (Gr 2, 1600m) a few races later.
Within The Law debut stakes win came in the Inglis Banner (RL, 1000m) on Melbourne Cup day at Flemington, and racing manager Luke Hilton said the travel to Melbourne had helped the filly to mature and that she had improved significantly since returning to Sydney.
“She did a really good job and she’s done nothing but improve since she’s come home.” Hilton said.
After jumping as a $3.50 favourite from barrier eight with Jason Collett retaining the ride, the filly burst through a narrow gap with a powerful turn of foot to come home 0.3 lengths ahead of the Darby Racing-owned colt Cobra Club (Cool Aza Beel), who is trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Sequista (D’Argento) finishing a further 0.6 away in third.
“That was a really tough win today. She’s not very big but she had a lot of heart. She would have to be [a Golden Slipper contender] after that. It was a different set up today coming to Sydney. We needed to see her do it and I couldn’t have been more pleased with her today,” Hilton said.
“She was super tough to beat the boys and push a few out the road. She was really impressive so I think the world is our oyster at the moment. She is improving all the time.
She was super tough to beat the boys and push a few out the road. She was really impressive so I think the world is our oyster at the moment
“She’s such an honest filly, she handles everything and is so professional. She’s not one that stands out at home, but has taken everything we have thrown at her.”
“It has been a good week and a great job by Bjorn and Darby [Racing] and the team to find these races.
“We sent her to Melbourne the first time and had to travel and she got away with it down there and did a really good job. She has done nothing but improve since she has come home.
Within The Law now holds favouritism in early markets for the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) at Rosehill on March 22, a race the team believe would suit her after another strong performance.
Should Within The Law line up in the Slipper later on in the season, she will be aiming to become Darby Racing’s second winner of the coveted juvenile contest, with syndicators having first landed the Group 1 in 2017 with the Gary Portelli-trained She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain).
Within The Law will now go for a short break and return for the $2 million Inglis Millennium (RL, 1200m) at Randwick on February 8.
“After she trialled [in October] we looked at the Inglis Banner at Flemington on Oaks Day for her but to be honest we didn’t have this race in the plans at that stage but she just pulled up so well from Flemington so we thought ‘why not double up’,’’ Scott Darby said.
“She’ll have a little break now and come back for the Millennium.
“I remember at the Classic Sale she was a really nice, athletic type of filly. We took a punt on the stallion, we didn’t know much about him obviously at the time but loved her athleticism and thought we could get her for a bargain price, which we did and she’s now won $600,000 from two starts. It’s unbelievable.’’
Yulong’s Sam Fairgray added: “It was great to see her back up the Flemington win and bring that to Sydney and do it again.
“It’s a big coup for Lucky Vega to have a filly like her in his first crop, she’s doing everything right and we’re enjoying watching her have this early success.”
Within The Law caps off a brilliant week for Baker with the trainer having unearthed another potential juvenile star when O’ Ole (Ole Kirk) broke her maiden impressively in Wednesday’s Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1100m), setting on a path to the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) at the Gold Coast in January.
There was a significant windfall for the ownership group of Gail Jeanette (Capitalist), who was the first horse home at least 75 per cent female-owned. The Fabio Martino-trained daughter of Capitalist (Written Tycoon) finished eighth and scooped her owners $200,000 through the Inglis Pink Bonus system.
Within The Law descends from the family of Denise’s Joy (Seventh Hussar), as the first foal of the placed seven-year-old mare Contract Signed (Dundeel). Her third dam, So Gorgeous (Brief Truce), won five stakes-level races including the Ascot Vale Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m), which has evolved and is now known as the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
Contract Signed was bought by Chatsworth Farm for $30,000 via Inglis Digital and now has a yearling colt by Lucky Vega’s Yulong-based barnmate Tagaloa (Lord Kanaloa).
Lucky Vega shuttles to the Irish National Stud, where he has recently returned to stand for the northern hemisphere season where he will stand for an unchanged fee of €12,500 (approx. AU$20,700) and is set to have his first European runners next year.
The stallion, who stood for $16,500 (inc GST) this year, has one other winner to his name in the shape of New Zealand-based colt Vega For Luck, who won a Tauranga maiden on October 5. The colt also finished third in the Counties Challenge Stakes (Listed, 1100m) on November 23.
Lucky Vega covered 119 mares in his first crop at a $22,000 (inc GST) fee,168 in his second, and 91 last year. He has five lots catalogued at the upcoming Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, nine at Inglis Classic, and 13 at Inglis Premier.
