Although he was always going to have big shoes to fill, being a brother to Melbourne Cup heroine Verry Elleegant, connections would be pleased to see 3yo gelding So Suave (Zed) return to scale as a winner in Wednesday’s Become A BRC Member Maiden Plate (2070m) at Doomben.
Improving from his length second over 2000m at Kembla Grange the start prior, the Chris Waller trained 3yo was sent north to Queensland with instant success.
Racing in the silks of Verry Elleegant’s part-owner Brae Sokolski’s YES Bloodstock, So Suave jumped away the short-priced favourite in the small field of eight with jockey Andrew Mallyon having just three runners behind him as the field passed the winning post on the first occasion.
Once the field had worked itself out, Mallyon had So Suave in third position, travelling sweetly on the rail behind the James Moore-trained Prefer To Dance (Preferment) who was leading the field.
With outsider Lucifer The Cat (Who’s That Cat) making a lightning move to charge around the field to try and catch the leaders napping, the pace began to quicken as So Suave came off the rail to ensure he was not trapped behind tiring horses.
As the home turn was reached, So Suave hit the lead, but was having his every move tracked by stablemate State Of Affairs (Dundeel) who had peeled off his heels to mount a challenge.
When the line was reached, So Suave held a three-quarter length winning margin from his stablemate.
While So Suave may never reach the heights of his famous sister, a winner of more than $14.8m in prizemoney from successes over distances ranging from 1400m to 3200m, connections would be over the moon, and possibly slightly emotional to see So Suave take the prize.
“Not a bad pedigree is it,” said Waller stable rep Brett Killion post-race.
“He is a late developer. We haven’t had him up here long (in Queensland), but he is a nice horse … he doesn’t turn a hair … obviously from a very talented family."
“He came off a better form race at Kembla on a heavy track and he’s appreciated the better ground today."
“In another six months’ time I am sure he will go through the grades and get a bit of confidence up here .., and then I’m sure he will head back down south.”
Offered at the Inglis Easter yearling sale through the draft of Lime Country Thoroughbreds, the Don Goodwin-bred son of Zed was knocked down to Yes Bloodstock, Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) and Dermot Farrington Bloodstock for $260,000.
One of six winners from six to race out of the Danroad mare Opulence whose progeny are headed by Horse of the Year, Champion Stayer and 11-time Group 1 winner, the ill-fated Verry Elleegant, Opulence is also the dam of Listed winner Verry Flash (Zed) and also to the dam of this season’s Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes winner Belle Detelle (Zed), a three-quarter-sister to the Champion mare as well as Wednesday’s winner.
From one of the best families in the New Zealand Stud book, So Suave’s granddam Chalet Girl (Imposing) is a half-sister to Danewin and Commands and comes from the same Eight Carat family of his very own sire Zed.
