Exciting young sire Gold Standard has relocated to Widden Victoria, the former Spendthrift stallion in the limelight on Saturday with his star performer Sheeza Belter returning to top form to beat the older mares in the $500,000 Group II ATC Hot Danish Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill.
A Group I winner last season in the BRC JJ Atkins Stakes, the Peter and Paul Snowden trained filly made a belated start to her spring campaign when resuming with a luckless eighth in the $2million The Invitation.
She enjoyed a return to firm footing for this assignment and surged to the line uber Willie Pike to score a half length win taking her overall record to five wins from nine starts with prizemoney topping $1.7million.
Co-trainer Paul Snowden explained Sheeza Belter had been hampered by a few minor setbacks this spring keeping her out of the Princess Series.
"There's no massive issues, just some infections and things like that that have taken time to get over and move on with," Snowden said.
"Unfortunately, the work stops and basically (we) had to pull the pin at one stage and just stop and let all this settle down and go again.
"We gave her a really good chance in The Invitation. I know it was first-up and she profiles better when she gets into her preparation, but we probably had her as good as we could leading into it two weeks ago.
"Just to see her not get any daylight at all and just trucking in behind the main wall there was very frustrating.
"Here we are back on top of the ground and she's winning, so full credit to her."
Consigned by Mt Hallowell Stud to the Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Sheeza Belter failed to make her $50,000 reserve before being sold to Justin Warwick.
Bred by Mt Hallowell Stud, Sheeza Belter is the third winner from as many to race out of the winning Saxon mare Saxabelle, a half-sister to Group III ATC Southern Cross Stakes and Group III Newcastle JC Newmarket Hcp winner Special Reward, Group III WATC Sires' Produce Stakes winner Showy Chloe and Listed winner El Rijes.
Saxabelle has a two year old colt by More Than Ready (USA) that has been named Call of Duty and after having a year off in 2020, she was covered last spring by Brave Smash (Jpn).
A lookalike for his champion sire Sebring, Gold Standard stands at a fee of $17,600.
