After a solid run in black type races, the connections of the Ciaron Maher trained Tagaloa filly Salty Pearl were rewarded for her consistency, backing up from a solid fourth in last Saturday's Group 1 MRC Thousand Guineas to claim the $300,000 Group 2 MVRC Fillies Classic (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
With third placed efforts at both Listed and Group 2 level leading into her Thousand Guineas run, the daughter of Tagaloa started the favourite on Saturday and after a good jump away from the barriers, the Ben Allen ridden filly settled in third place.
With race outsider Star Of Ohama taking up the running, ensuring a solid pace throughout, Allen found himself in need of a run as he became a little trapped on the fence just before the home turn.
As James McDonald on the Chris Waller trained Frankel filly Enviable came up on the outside of the leader before Sunlit Serenade started to follow her, Salty Pearl needed to wait for a run, and with one presenting itself between the leading duo, the grey show good acceleration to work through.
Taking the lead and pulling away for what was a soft win, Salty Pearl held a length margin over Enviable with a further length and a half back to the third placed Prestige Snitzel who worked home well for third.
Winning trained Ciaron Maher was very complimentary of Stablue Consultancy's system of purchasing yearlings.
“Great for Adrian and the Starblue crew, they get nice, valued horses and they spend a lot of time at the sales,” said Maher.
“How good that they’ve got a stakes-winning filly on Cox Plate Day. You don’t get much better than that.
“Ben’s had a great association with her and he’s riding with a lot of confidence. It was a beautiful, patient ride. He had to wait for his time, and he knew what he had underneath him and it was a very good result.
“This race came up a bit light, so I thought we’d have a go.”
Long range plans for the filly could see her tackle Group 1 racing in the Autumn.
“She might tackle a Group 1 like the Surround. She wasn’t far away in the Thousand Guineas,” said Maher. “Restricted to fillies, that is probably her go. If she improves again then she’ll be thereabouts.
“We put the shades on the last couple of starts and got that much more focus as well. She’s a filly with a bright future.”
Having ridden the grey filly in her last five starts, Jockey Ben Allen knows here very well.
“At the 200 (metre mark) it was a bit easier but before that I probably can’t share what my thoughts were,” said Allen.
“We just had to trust the horse. She was travelling that well, so it was just a matter of finding the slightest gap and she was going good enough.
“If J-Mac (Enviable) hadn’t have rolled out I was going to have to extricate myself to the outside. Gee she’s so honest. Running in a Group 1 last week on the week back-up.
“Ciaron and the team have done a great job. She’s just so honest. It was a big step putting the blinkers on and stepping up in trip last time. I think today it has helped and put her that much more in my hands.
“She’s been off the bridle and having to get up after 100 metres, I was able to sit, she’s got an electric turn-of-foot and she was the class horse today.”
The Group 2 victory took her overall record to two wins and four placed efforts from eight starts with $473,000, a great return on investment on the $75,000 Starblue Consultancy and Ciaron Maher Racing parted ways with to secure the filly from the Inglis Classic yearling sale draft of from the Sullivan Bloodstock.
Bred by Group 1-winning trainer David Brideoake, Salty Pearl is the first stakes winner from two to the races out of the Sebring mare Leaven Of Malice, herself a half-sister to Hinchinbrook’s Group 3 MRC Chairman's Stakes winner Mildred.
From the family of Group 1-winning sprinter Notorie, Leaven Of Malice only had one more foal before retiring, with the 2yo filly by Nicconi named She's Iconnic in the South Australian stable of Jessica Tzaferis.
The best of two Group winners for Group 1 Blue Diamond winter Tagaloa, the son of Lord Kanaloa (JPN) is standing at a fee of $22,000 (inc. GST) at Yulong.
