Stakes Double for Sebring
Sebring posted an international stakes double on Saturday with promising two year-old filly Futooh winning the Listed ATC Fernhill Handicap at Randwick, while in Macau progressive three year-old Bring Me Speed landed the Lisboa Challenge.
At her most recent start, Futooh never saw daylight when beaten out of a place in the Group III ATC Baillieu Handicap at Rosehill, but she put that behind her when hitting the line hard to win this 1600 metre contest by a long neck.
Trained by David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, Futooh advances her record to two wins from six starts with earnings of $191,950.
“We were a little bit critical of the ride a couple of weeks ago where she was driven out of the barriers and didn’t finish off,” David Hayes said.
“Today, Jason (Collett) was excellent, he rode her that 10 percent negative from the barrier and she really had that turn of foot – it’s really exciting.
“We’ve always had an opinion of her and it’s just nice to see her once she gets out to a mile running so well.”
Hayes said Futooh may back up in next week’s Group 1 ATC Champagne Stakes depending on how she pulls up.
Purchased by Shadwell for $375,000 out of the Sledmere Stud draft at the 2017 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Futooh is the third foal of the stakes-winner Golden Millennium, who comes from the family of stakes-winners Miss Kariba, Speedy Belle, Whoever, Speedy Natalie, Sweet And Speedy and Silverstream.
Three year-old Sebring gelding Bring Me Speed posted his sixth win from 10 starts when taking out the Listed Lisboa Challenge at Taipa over 1500 metres on turf.
Passed in at the 2016 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Bring Me Speed was subsequently sold to Macau and is the first winner for Jessica Rose, a metro winner by Keep the Faith from the family of Group I winner Linton and Group II winner Heatherly.
Futooh and Bring Me Speed are the 39th and 40th stakes-winners for Sebring, who covered 204 mares last spring.
Sebring was also close to the mark in several other stakes races with his under-rated staying filly Miss Admiration a good third in the Group I ATC Australian Oaks, while Rezealient, another promising staying type, was second in the Listed MRC Galilee Series Final.
