Trilogy Racing will have high hopes for the their talented filly Queen of Clubs in the Group I ATC Flight Stakes on Saturday and their colours were in the frame at Geelong on Thursday carried by a Zoustar filly that saluted on debut.
Trained by Clinton McDonald and ridden by Jamie Melham, Live started favourite in the 1147m maiden and despite racing greenly and drifting back further than punters would have liked, she let down with a good turn of foot to surge home and win by a long neck.
Live was doing her best work on the line and took some pulling up after.
Clinton McDonald has a good opinion of Live and will be looking to target stakes races later in the spring.
“I thought she was very good the last 50m when Jamie was able to get her balanced up and pull the whip through to her left, so a great result for Trilogy, who have been good supporters of mine,” said McDonald.
“They paid a lot of money for the filly and I think she will just keep improving with racing.
“I think she’s a filly that will get out to 1400m or a mile, so a race at the end of the carnival like the Sandown Guineas (G2) might be something to target.”
A $500,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Alma Vale / Kitchwin Hills Partnership for Trilogy Racing / Suman Hedge Bloodstock, Live is the second winner from stakes-placed Not a Single Doubt mare Donelle, whose dam is by Zabeel from the family of Group I winner Riverina Charm.
Live was a successful pinhook having been bred and sold as a weanling by Grenville Stud, who got $280,000 for the filly at the Inglis Great Southern Sale where she was bought by Blackridge Farm.
