After making her debut in the G3 Kindergarten Stakes behind the now dual G3 winner and Everest contender Blue Door, it was no surprise to see 3yo Pinatubo (IRE) filly Low Key start favourite on Wednesday at Rosehill, breaking her maiden over 1400m.
Resuming in early September with a second behind Godolphin’s Threads, who has since won again, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained filly was hustled out of the gates by jockey Tim Clark, crossing the field to take up the running.
Settling in second was the Wild Ruler filly Victorious Ruler, a stablemate of the leader, while the well-related Snitzel’s Girl was getting a handy run in third.
With race fitness on her side, the race favourite took the field into the home straight, and while those behind her were fighting out for the placings, the Champion Thoroughbreds colour-bearer kicked clear by two.
Doing enough in the run to the line to take the prize by a neck margin, it was a bunched finish with not a lot separating second, third and fourth.
The Les Bridge trained Autumn Sun filly Sapphire Legend held on well for second on debut, just ahead of Chris Waller’s pair of Iomi, a half-sister to multiple G1 winner Lindermann with Snitzel’s Girl back in fourth.
With this particular race having produced a host of quality stakes performers in the past, it would not surprise to see Low Key head that way
“Yeah, no doubt,” enthused Bott. “There's a nice three-year-old fillies Listed race over the 1400 meters over the carnival for a filly like her that I think would be a nice natural progression.”
“It's great to see you get that job done today because i think she deserves her crack at that level at some point.
“She might have just been out on her feet there late with that step up in trip and a little bit of early pressure there, which she was able to withstand, but, you know, I think now having that nice sort of foundation, that run at the 1,400 metres, that'll set her up really well to take that step into that company.
Jockey Tim Clark has had a bit to do with Low Key in the past, so he was pleased to see her break her maiden.
“I probably left the race the other day a little bit disappointed that she did get beaten but you know looking back on the form after Threads has gone on and won a what was a sort of a Saturday race, albeit on a Sunday… it probably gave me a bit more confidence coming here today knowing that that form was really strong.
“She trained on well the first run, and it looked a lovely race for her.
“She's always shown that ability and hence the reason she started her career in a stakes race.
“We've always backed her ability and there might be an opportunity in a few weeks to step back up to a better level now that she's got the win out of the board.”
Purchased by her trainers, Kestrel Thoroughbreds and Byron Rogers from the Highgrove Stud draft at the Inglis Easter yearling sale for $280,000, Low Key is the second winner from two runners out of the Helmet mare Really Discreet, a half-sister to G2 winner Too Darn Discreet.
Really Discreet’s third foal, a colt by Champion Anamoe will be offered through the draft of Woburn Farm as Lot 83 at the upcoming Inglis Ready2Race Sale.
The mare unfortunately slipped the following season to both Farnan and Shinzo before foaling a colt by Too Darn Hot (GB) earlier this month.
Low Key is the 14th first crop southern hemisphere winner for Darley’s Pinatubo who has been represented locally by six stakes performers. The Champion 2YO son of Shamardal (USA) is currently covering his fifth Australian book of mares at Kelvinside, standing this season at a fee of $27,500 (inc. GST).
