Singapore Success for Star Sebring Filly

This time last year talented Sebring filly Believe Yourself was about to shoot to prominence winning the Group II ATC Sweet Embrace Stakes before finishing fourth to Mossfun in the Golden Slipper, but 12 months on she finds herself in Singapore and recorded her first win at Kranji on Friday.

Unsuccessful when making her Singapore debut in November, the Hideyuki Takaoka prepared filly improved out of sight for her second appearance, flying across from a wide draw to sit on the speed and then drawing clear to win the 1200 metre contest by more than two lengths.

“Seriously, I really thought she could win tonight as she has really matured in the last weeks and she was quite fit for this race,” said Hideyuki Takaoka

“She dropped 11 kilos and was down to 446 kilos, which is probably her ideal racing weight.

“I told Alan [Munro] to ride her positive from the wide gate as I didn’t want her to be caught wide, but she was faster than I thought. Actually she did show some speed at a barrier trial before, so I wasn’t all that surprised she jumped so well.”

Her rider was also impressed with her effort.

“We were supposed to sit in fifth or sixth but she flew like a rocket at the start. She travelled relaxed outside the leader and when I gave her a dig she kicked strongly,” he said.

“She did stop around the 300 metres, but she took off again like a good thing. She’s a very smart filly.”

A $140,000 purchase from the Turangga Farm draft, Believe Yourself was the highest priced filly at the 2013 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale and third highest priced overall.

Bred by Stuart Ramsey’s Turangga Farm, Believe Yourself runs for Singapore based Japanese owner Mr Tomohiro Sekiguchi and has proven a good investment winning three of six starts.

She is the first winner for unraced Private, a half-sister by Encosta de Lago to Group III winner Tully Dane and stakes-winner Mygoodgrace from the family of Group I winners Daffodil and Good Faith.

Private has a yearling colt by Sebring that has been entered for Inglis Easter by Turangga Farm and was one of 192 mares covered by Sebring last year at Widden Stud.