Sadler earmarks VRC Oaks for Hirsch’s promising Sebring filly
John Sadler believes he may have unearthed a VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) contender after the first-up win of Adele Amour (Sebring), a homebred three-year-old filly for the new proprietor of Woodside Park Stud, Eddie Hirsch.
Resuming from a spell after two spaced starts as a juvenile, Adele Amour ($26) was sent forward by Michael Dee and had half a length to spare over Barb Raider (Rebel Raider) ($2.80) in the Ladbrokes Cash In Plate (1400m) for three-year-old fillies.
El Patroness (Shamus Award) ($7.50), who was having her first start, was another three–quarters of a length away in third.
“Without being biased at all, I thought she looked the pick of them in the yard. I really thought she looked well,” Sadler told Racing.com post-race.
“She’s a filly I’ve always had a good opinion of as a two-year-old. It seems as though if you ride her out (back) in a race she loses interest, so I said to Michael today, with there appearing to be no speed in the race, that we will go forward and she showed the sort of ability that she’s shown us before on the track.”
Adele Amour is one of three winners out of AJC Chairman’s Handicap (Gr 2, 2600m) winner Divine Rebel (Don Eduardo) and she is also a granddaughter of New Zealand Group 1 winner It’s My Sin (Success Express).
Sadler referenced the filly’s pedigree when outlining plans to target the VRC Oaks in November.
“She is a filly who is bred to get a really good trip, an Oaks distance, so it’s a nice kick-off for her,” Sadler said.
“She will go to a mile now in a couple of weeks here at Sandown and then to the Oaks Trial at Flemington. We’re very hopeful as she’s very well bred.
“It’s always a great thrill to win for Eddie Hirsch and his family.”
Hirsch, through trainer John Salanitri, bought Divine Rebel for $80,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale and sent her to Sebring (More Than Ready).
Hirsch also has an unnamed two-year-old filly by Hallowed Crown (Street Sense), a yearling colt by Epaulette (Commands) and she is expected to foal again to the Darley stallion in October.
Dee rode Adele Amour at Pakenham in February when the filly settled worse than midfield and failed to run on over 1200 metres, prompting Sadler to spell her immediately.
“Last time around she wasn’t as furnished as she is now. She is obviously still quite leggy and has to fill out, but she’s a filly on the way up,” Dee said on return to scale.
“I’ve done a lot of work on her and she’s put in some very nice pieces of work and then at other times she (hasn’t), so today we wanted to make sure she was on the ball and put her in the race instead of dropping her out and trying to get her to finish off.
“She doesn’t need to lead, but now we know she has to be in amongst it to really put in her best.”
Pride Of Dubai three-year-old makes it two in a row
In the three-year-old colts and geldings version at Sandown, the Ladbrokes Switch Handicap (1400m), Sandy Prince (Pride Of Dubai) could also be heading towards stakes races during the spring after recording back-to-back victories.
Sandy Prince, who won his maiden at Moe at his previous start on August 4, led throughout under Craig Williams to score by two and a quarter lengths over Sealion (Astern), with Saint Tropez (Not A Single Doubt) another length away in third.
Co-trainer Ben Hayes was impressed by the manner of Sandy Prince’s win and labelled him as “exciting”.
“It was a good field with five last-start winners and I really like how he ran out the 1400 metres so strongly. He did get everything his own way, but he won and won well,” said Hayes, who is at the helm of Lindsay Park alongside brother JD.
“What I love about that is he is a horse that has been improving every start. Today he did everything right; his manners were good and it was an important step seeing him do that. He might be putting his hand up to run in some of those nice spring races.”
Williams is also confident that Sandy Prince can measure up in higher grade.
“He has been allowed to develop the right way and he’s been well placed again. I know he’s going to get to the deep end, high in the ratings, it’s just a matter of when he gets there,” Williams told Racing.com.
“He gave me a tougher ride pulling him up and coming back to scale than he did in the run.”
Bred by Fairhill Farm’s Mike O’Donnell, Sandy Prince is a half-brother to the Singapore stakes-placed Desert Fox (Not A Single Doubt) and two other winners including multiple Sydney scorer Yuma Desert (Not A Single Doubt).
He was sold by Fairhill Farm at the 2019 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale for $52,000 to Tarcoola Thoroughbred Breeding who on-sold him for $200,000 to Lindsay Park and Andrew Williams Bloodstock at last year’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Sandy Prince, the ninth foal out of US winner Sandy Desert (Line In The Sand), has an unnamed two-year-old sister. Victoria’s Erinvale Thoroughbreds bought Sandy Desert for $23,000 at the 2019 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale and she is due to foal to Royal Meeting (Invincible Spirit) this September.