As Brenton Avdulla flies back to Japan after claiming his first George Moore Award for winning the Sydney Jockeys’ Premiership, it will give him some time to reflect on a filly that played a major part in his rise to the top.
Back in October 2010, a youthful Avdulla was contemplating a return to Melbourne before he was legged up on a three-year-old daughter of Dubawi (IRE) named Secret Admirer in the Group1 Flight Stakes at Randwick.
The Grahame Begg-trained filly defeated More Strawberries and Parables that day. Twelve months later, Secret Admirer stormed home from last to defeat Pinker Pinker and Red Tracer in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap to become the first mare in four decades to win the time-honoured Randwick mile. (photo Mark Smith)
It would be fair to say Avdulla never looked back after that.
As for Secret Admirer, she never won another race in 20 starts but that does not tell the whole story.
She placed in the Group 1 Emirates Stakes (twice), Group 1 Coolmore Classic, Group 1 George Ryder Stakes, Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Group 1 George Main Stakes and Group 1 Doomben Cup.
The daughter of Dubawi (IRE) retired with a record of 3 wins, 5 seconds and 10 thirds from 28 starts with earnings of $1,443,530.
The story of Secret Admirer dates back to 2008 Easter Weanling Sale when Jon Freyer purchased her for $38,000 on behalf of John Muir's Milburn Creek Thoroughbred Stud.
Muir put her back through the 2009 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale but there was a decided lack of interest and Secret Admirer ended up racing in Muir’s brown and white check silks.
After earning $1.4 million on the track, Secret Admirer has added a further $960,000 with her first two foals.
The first was an Exceed And Excel colt that made $400,000 at the 2017 Easter Yearling Sale and $560,000 for an I Am Invincible colt that went through the same ring 12 months later.
Tim Martin signed for both colts.
The first, Danawi (pictured as a yearling) , clearly has ability although he has not befriended himself to punters by being beaten into second place after being heavily backed at his first two starts.
The son of Exceed And Excel will be favoured once again to break his maiden in Saturday’s Group III Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) at Randwick where he will face off with his last start conqueror Military Zone who ran him down in the final strides over 1200 metres at Randwick back on August 4.
Despite being by the speed influence Exceed And Excel there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Danawi could prove effective up to a mile.
Secret Admirer clearly got 2,000 metres at the highest level and her dam Secret Illusion (Secret Savings) is a half-sister to the Group 1 Metropolitan Handicap winner Donegal Mist (Balmerino) and to the dam of the Group III Warwick Stakes and Group II Prime Minister’s Cup winner Sir Dex (Dexter).
Secret Illusion’s dam Our Illusion (Balios) won over 2000 metres although she is a half-sister to that remarkable kiwi sprinter Mr Illusion (Sovereign Edition) who stormed home from the tail of the field to win the 1984 Group 1 The Galaxy and the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate 12 months later.
Secret Admirer should keep the cash register ticking over for Milburn Creek. She has a yearling colt by Snitzel and was covered by Vancouver last spring.
