Sebring Juveniles Run Hot

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will be hoping the Inglis Nursery continues its trend as being one of the form 2YO races in the country in recent years when they send Sebring filly Serena Bay there for her next start.

She kept her unbeaten record intact at Rosehill on Saturday with a tenacious victory in the Goldners Horse Transport Golden Gift (1100m).

Ridden in front by Kerrin McEvoy, Serena Bay was headed halfway down the straight by the favourite Florid, but her fighting spirit won out.

She defied a late surge from Reflectivity to win by a nose.

Serena Bay was a $200,000 purchase for Gai Waterhouse Racing from the Edinburgh Park draft at the 2016 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

She will now target the $500,000 Inglis Nursery at Randwick on December 17.

Extreme Choice won the Nursery last year on his way to winning the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes, while Mossfun won it in 2013 before winning the Group 1 Golden Slipper later in her juvenile season.

Bott said as long as Serena Bay recovered as he hoped, she would head to the Nursery for her next start.

“She’s a lovely big tough filly and I’m sure she’ll come through today’s race well,” he said.

“We’d love to take her to the Inglis Nursery race as she’s an Inglis graduate and it’s a lot of prizemoney so it looks an ideal target.”

Bred by Ian Smith, Serena Bay is from stakes-winning Dubai Destination (USA) mare Caiguna, who has two other Sebring fillies to follow– full sisters to Serena Bay – the eldest of which Edinburgh Park is offering at the 2017 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

Sebring also sired Keeper Keen to win the $100,000 Crystal Slipper at Ascot in Perth, the talented gelding now with two wins in as many starts.