 The wraps on boom two-year-old filly Innovation Girl
were justified this afternoon after she recorded the easiest of victories in the Group
Three Dermody Stakes (for two and three-year-olds) at Cheltenham. A touch tardily away, after displaying impatience in the gates,
Innovation Girl soon assumed control of the race showing her eight rivals a proverbial
‘clean set of heels’.
With partner Kerrin McEvoy sitting quietly aboard the filly
made good time on the dead surface, running her last 600m in a slick 33:82 seconds,
overall time 57:95. In her wake were her fellow two-year-olds Dual Spark and Presumed
Innocent beaten 2-½ and 1-½ lengths respectively.
The win, her first of potentially many in black type
events, took Innovation Girl’s record to four wins and a second from five starts and
$174,950 in prize money.
 Another
of the flying Rubiton brigade, Innovation Girl has impressed trainer Brian Mayfield Smith
"She’s a very good filly. It was a nice first up
run today," he said.
McEvoy reported that Innovation Girl was relaxed in the
run, never attempting to over race at any stage, despite the generous pace. Mayfield-Smith
hopes that this attribute will enable his filly to stretch to 1400 metres, perhaps for
races such as the Tranquil Star, a Group Three event for three-year-old fillies at
Caulfield in September.
OE & DR Pope, managers of the Pope Racing Syndicate who
race the filly in partnership with CL Harvey, bred Innovation Girl and spell the filly at
their Adelaide Hills property Oakbank Farm.
Innovation Girl, by the aforementioned Rubiton, is from the
stakes placed mare Bright Gleam, a three-quarter sister to AJC Doncaster winner Soho
Square.
Incidentally, Oakbank Farm sold Bright Gleam in foal to
Rubiton at the 2001 Victorian Weanling and Thoroughbred Sale (for $30,000) some four
months prior to Innovation Girl’s first racetrack appearance.
Brian Mayfield-Smith confirmed his opinion of Innovation
Girl by outlaying $130,000 for her full sister at this year’s Adelaide Magic Millions
Yearling Sales. That filly is as yet unnamed.
PICS - Jenny Barnes. |
