Lindsay Park & Michael Dee have combined with Double Market ($5.00) proving best of the girls in the Group 2 Fillies Classic (1600m) at Moonee Valley Saturday afternoon.
The daughter of Castelvecchio put the writing on the wall with an impressive debut victory at Ballarat on October 3, pressing on with the job in style as the jump in grade was no problem for the untapped three-year-old.
Brulante ($16.00) and Lady Sadler ($17.00) ensured a genuine tempo, with the pair sent forward to fight out the early lead as James McDonald parked in behind aboard the well-supported favourite Polymnia ($2.50).
Dee was happy to slot in slightly worse than midfield throughout the journey, while Mark Zahra and Cavity Bay ($5.00) took off with 400m left the travel, looking to be storming clear with the prize.
In Her Eyes ($15.00) was making strong inroads as well, however, it was to no avail as Double Market took over at the furlong pole, producing a strong turn-of-foot in the concluding stages to claim the $300,000 prize.
2024 Group 2 Fillies Classic Replay – Double Market
Will Hayes spoke post-race on behalf of the stable and suggested the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) might be next on the agenda.
“I just love the way that she was out the back and found the rhythm,” said Hayes.
“She’s so progressive, what she did in her first up to absorb what was a fall in the race and still come out and win is something that good horses do, so for her to come out and win a group two in her second start makes her very valuable and a terrific result for the ownership group.
“Definitely (heading to the Thousand Guineas), we’ll be guided by how she pulls up, but that’s the logical line and length, and I think with the way that she won today you’d be thinking why not.”
Michael Dee was impressed with the victory and suggested she’ll be a better horse in the autumn.
“I actually wanted to be closer in the run and she didn’t jump the best and there was a lot more pressure really than I thought and I just had to take our medicine and she relaxed beautifully,” said Dee.
“I was lucky enough that Cavity Bay was able to take us into the race and I thought she won with a bit in hand because she’s still very new and she’s really just doing that on raw ability.
“Definitely autumn will be better for her. She is going well now so you’ve got to keep going, whatever she does now, she’s going to be better in six months’ time.”
Double Market is now an $11 chance with horse racing bookmakers for the Group 1 Thousand Guineas on November 16.
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