The $1million Group I ATC Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday featured three bona fide ‘queens of the turf’ in Pride of Jenni, Lady Shenandoah and Treasurethe Moment, but it was an up and coming queen that claimed her first G1 victory.
Bred and sold by Torryburn Stud, talented Dundeel mare Idle Flyer has been brought quietly through the grades by her trainer Matthew Smith and scored her first Group win last spring.
Taking another step forward this year, she put the writing on the wall last start winning the Group II ATC Emancipation Stakes at Rosehill with her winning rider on that occasion Zac Lloyd sticking with her for a tilt at G1 glory.
He settled her off the strong pace set by Pride of Jenni in her customary role as tearaway leader and when Lady Shenandoah surged to the front, Idle Flyer was poised to strike.
She let down too well and powered past Lady Shenandoah to win by three-quarters of a length with Treasurethe Moment steaming home for third ahead of late closer She’s a Hustler and a gallant Pride of Jenni.
“It was a proper Group 1. We’ve got a great crew in the horse and great supporters of the stable. I just can’t believe she’s won. I knew she was going good, but I didn’t think she’d win that so we’ll take it,” said an elated Matt Smith.
“She’s always looked like she’d run a strong mile here and you need to be able to run a strong mile to win one of these races. You’ve got to be able to run further probably.
“When she won her last time here over the mile we thought this was the race for her. It was just a matter of getting here fit and well.”
A $70,000 Inglis Classic purchase from Torryburn Stud for Mathew Smith Racing / Randwick Bloodstock Agency, Idle Flyer runs for a big group of stable clients and has the overall record of eight wins and two placings from 15 starts with prizemoney of $1.2million.
Idle Flyer has been a work in progress for a long time and the Brisbane Winter Carnival may well be on the cards for the progressive four year-old.
“We were thinking about maybe going to a Stradbroke, a race like that. She’s only had three runs this prep. We’ll see how she pulls up,” Smith added.
“Every now and then one ( a plan) lands and she landed it today. Delighted for the owners, the team, everyone at home. All the staff put in an incredible amount of work and I’m so happy that this has come off.”
The latest G1 winner for a very famous female family, Idle Flyer is the best of three winners from well bred Street Cry (IRE) mare Progressive, a full sister to the dam of Group I winner Tom Kitten and stakes-winners Va Via and Promotions.
Progressive comes from the Twyla branch of the Dancing Show family that has produced G1 winners such as Gathering, Desert Lightning, In Italian and You Wahng, so Idle Flyer has become a very valuable broodmare prospect for the future.
Not surprisingly Matthew Smith has also purchased the current 2YO from Progressive, a colt by Russian Revolution that was snapped up from Torryburn Stud at Magic Millions last year for $75,000 and has been named Husky Flyer.
Progressive has a yearling filly by Tom Kitten’s sire Harry Angel (IRE) that was sold by Torryburn Stud at Magic Millions this year for $200,000 to Broodmares Pty Ltd and delivered a colt by Tassort last spring.
Idle Flyer is the tenth Group I for Arrowfield Stud based Dundeel.
