John Sargent is three weeks away from having his first Golden Slipper runner after Four Moves Ahead rebounded from a setback to win the Sweet Embrace Stakes at Randwick.
Renowned as a trainer of classic horses, Sargent is showing another string to his bow this autumn with Four Moves Ahead now unbeaten in two starts.
The filly was scratched from the Silver Slipper last weekend after knocking her knee in a stable mishap and Sargent admitted it was a relief to see her win on Saturday.
“We’ve had a hard last ten days,” Sargent said.
“We could only get the saddle on her on Tuesday for a gallop and apart from that she has just swum and been led off the pony, so it was great to get the result today and we can move on.”
Four Moves Ahead ($2.70 fav) camped behind the speed and showed a good turn of foot to sprint clear and defeat the fast-finishing She’s All Class ($4.60) by a neck.
Mallory ($4.80) also made ground for third another two lengths away.
The first two across the line are now the highest-rated fillies in TAB fixed odds Golden Slipper markets at $13 apiece.
Sargent confirmed Four Moves Ahead would go straight to the juvenile feature on March 20 without another run.
“We’ve got three weeks now if she comes through it to the Slipper and we can crank up her work and she’ll be a fitter horse then,” he said.
Crystal Lily in 2010 was the last filly to claim the Sweet Embrace Stakes-Golden Slipper double.