A narrow third in the G3 Quezette Stakes in August, the Mark and Levi Kavanagh-trained Peltzer filly Thanks Gorgeous was a class above her rivals at Mornington on New Year’s Day, pulling clear to break her maiden in impressive fashion.
Coming off a last start fourth over 1200m, the 3yo filly appeared to appreciate the drop back to 1000m as she jumped the race favourite and from the outside gate, jockey Jake Noonan allowed her to settle wide.
With the Mark Walker trained debut runner Drefonna (Jpn), the half-sister to Japanese Horse of the Year and seven-time G1 winner Gentildonna (Jpn) going forward to lead, Noonan allowed his filly to slowly make up ground on the leader and in the home straight asked her for an effort.
Sprinting clear, ears pricked, Thanks Gorgeous broke her maiden by two and a quarter-lengths from the Grahem Begg trained Shapenapit, with Dan Meagher’s Heidi Dancer three parts of a length back in third.
“She’s been knocking on the door and really close, and been a little bit frustrating,” Levi Kavanagh said post-race.
“We dropped her back to a couple of maidens and she just didn’t get a lot of luck.
“It was a good ride today by Jake, we dropped her back to 1000m today, so he had plenty of horse left”
Although she has been in work for quite some time, now that she’s broken through for her maiden win, connections feel she may head back into better class once again.
“She’s still won by an impressive margin – we think she’s a good filly, she’s got a lot more runs left in her better races,” he said.
“It’s good for her to tick that box today… we’ll see how she pulls up, and whether we go back to Metropolitan grade in another couple of weeks, we’ll just have a look and see.”
Having only finished further back than fourth just once in her eight starts to date, Thanks Gorgeous has earned her connections $178,925.
The lone runner, and winner out of the Exceed And Excel mare Localchella, Thanks Gorgeous comes from an international black type family which includes Zagrey (Zarak), a winner of the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden, a race won a few years prior by Godolphin’s Ghaiyyath who is currently the Leading Second Season Sire in Australia.
Interestingly, Localchella’s current unnamed 2yo colt is by Ghaiyyath and although she was not served in 2023, and missed in 2024, she was covered this season by Peltzer once again, with the resultant foal a full relation to Thanks Gorgeous.
The sire of eight winners headed by Listed Taj Rossi Series Final Handicap winner Buccleuch, Peltzer has just finished covering his fifth book of mares where he stood for a fee of $11,000 at Twin Hills Stud.
The speedy son of So You Think will be represented by three yearlings at the Magic Millions yearling sale followed by two at both the Inglis Classic and Inglis Premier yearling sales.
