The rapid rise of Alabama Lass continued on the opening day of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival on Saturday, the filly putting on a stellar display to win the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m).
A daughter of Alabama Express, Alabama Lass has turned heads since debuting in early February as a juvenile, with a nine-length demolition followed by a meritorious run for second behind Captured By Love in the Group 2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).
Captured By Love was among the main dangers to the Ken and Bev Kelso-trained filly in the Hastings feature, where she started a shortening $1.90 favourite with bookmakers, courtesy of an impressive fresh-up display at Taupo last month.
The only factor that stood in the way of Alabama Lass was the outside barrier draw (10), but her sizzling gate speed soon put any early queries to rest, with jockey Sam Spratt powering forward to sit in behind a strong tempo set by Pleasing.
While eight of the original field of ten got on their way, the race wasn’t without drama as local filly Anushka Shesastar was late scratched for refusing to enter the barriers, and Sister Ping, while making her way into gate nine, reared at the start and played no part in the contest either.
Meanwhile, Alabama Lass was cruising into the home bend and swiftly took the lead as she descended down the straight, and while Captured By Love was game in chasing her, she never looked in doubt powering to the line by three-quarters of a length.
Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) runner-up Damask Rose closed strongly in her return to racing ahead of Renovations.
Spratt was all smiles returning to the winner’s circle, collecting her third win in the fillies’ feature after guiding both Best Seller (2022) and O’Marilyn (2014).
“She’s really quick, she pinged out of the gates and they kicked up a little bit, but she’s nippy both ends of the race,” Spratt said.
“We cruised along around the corner and kicked and at the top of the straight I thought it was going to be a track gallop, but then I could hear them coming for me. I think she was almost waiting for them a little bit, she’s done it pretty easily.
“I think if she came up to us, she would’ve kicked again.
“The girl who looks after her said she gallops like that, goes past the stablemate then gets there and waits for them a little bit. Hopefully she can get out of that habit, but it was good that she got there.”
Alabama Lass is nominated for the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) in November, and the way she conducted herself in the mid-stages of the contest gave Spratt some insight into whether she will see out the mile.
“You don’t know until you try, I don’t see why not as she’s quick but she settles so if she got a decent run, she probably could see a mile out. We’ll see how it goes,” she said.
The Matamata-based Kelso’s are also no strangers to success in the Gold Trail, securing a similarly dominant victory with subsequent Group 1 Railway (1200m) winner Bounding back in 2013.
“She was brilliant, she got across easily from that outside gate and settled off the leader, and she’s kicked away,” Ken Kelso said.
“She was very shin-sore going into the (Matamata) Breeders so that probably accounted for a little bit there, but she’s got an abundance of speed, she’s a very exciting filly.
“I don’t make decisions on race-days, it’s a long season so we’ll get home and see how she gets over the trip.
“She’s a very good eater and her temperament has really improved this year from last year, so she’s a little dream to train.”
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