Sebring Filly Stakes Blue Diamond Claim

Carrying the colours of Qatar Bloodstock, promising Sebring filly Thurlow cemented her claims for autumn success when resuming from a spell to win the Group III MRC Chairmans Stakes at Sandown on Saturday.

Last seen when winning the Listed MRC Merson Cooper Stakes in the spring, the Robert Smerdon trained filly was sporting blinkers for the first time and surged to the line to win the 1000 metre dash by half a length in a brisk 56.43 seconds.

The blinkers were added when Thurlow trialled below par at Cranbourne last month, the decision obviously a winning move.

“We tried them on her earlier this week and Craig came back with a good report, so we rolled the dice,” said Smerdon.

“We’ll go home and consider a start the Blue Diamond, but she’s probably earned her spot there.”

A $150,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Widden Stud draft for David Redvers, Thurlow has two wins and a second from three starts with earnings of $190,250 and plenty more to come.

She was also bred by Widden and is the first foal of stakes-winning King’s Chapel mare Princess Emmy (NZ), who has a Northern Meteor yearling filly that will be offered by Widden at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale as Lot 114 and is a very similar type to Thurlow.

Princess Emmy has another Sebring filly to follow and is now in foal to Widden’s young gun sire Zoustar, who covered 185 mares in his debut season last spring.