WYONG filly Winning Proposal is back on deck and ready for another shot at a Sydney feature.
Trainer Kristen Buchanan was forced to withdraw her talented three-year-old from the Listed The Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on August 17 because of a temperature.
She was the only filly who accepted for the race and one of two horses on the limit (53kg), with Rosehill colt Gatsby’s (56.5kg) scoring first-up.
Thankfully, Winning Proposal recovered quickly and an excellent trial at Hawkesbury on Monday convinced her trainer to aim even higher when she heads back to town.
The $300,000 Group 2 Darley Furious Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on September 7 is Winning Proposal’s target.
The Furious is for three-year-old fillies and run at set weights (56kg).
“We’re going to meet some good fillies, but Winning Proposal deserves her chance,” Buchanan said on Tuesday morning.
“I was very happy with her Hawkesbury trial.
“She was beaten only a half-length, and the two horses who beat her home are already Group winners.”
The 1000m Open trial was won by Godolphin colt Traffic Warden, who won the Group 2 VRC Sires (1400m) at Flemington in March, and was narrowly beaten by Manaal in the Group 1 ATC Sires (1400m) at Randwick the following month.
Trial runner-up Prost, a Snitzel colt, won the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens in March.
Winning Proposal, a $50,000 Inglis Premier yearling sale purchase in Melbourne in 2023 for Vardy Thoroughbreds, has already returned that triple fold.
The Shalaa filly’s five starts have yielded two wins and two placings, and earned just over $176,000 (including BOBS bonuses).
She also finished fourth to favorite Fully Lit in the $2m Inglis Millennium (1100m) at Randwick in February.
Buchanan, who clinched a Group 2 breakthrough with Two Blue in the Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Randwick in 2016 at $26, decided to focus on the Furious with Winning Proposal.
She did not enter her for the $200,000 Listed Mona Lisa Stakes (1350m) for fillies and mares at her home track on Sunday.
“Winning Proposal hasn’t started since early July (when third in an 1100m 2YO Handicap at Randwick with 59kg topweight), and I wouldn’t go to 1350m without a lead-up run,” Buchanan said.
Winning Proposal defeated last Saturday’s impressive Randwick winner and now The Everest second favorite Joliestar in a 900m Group trial at Rosehill on August 6 prior to her unfortunate defection from The Rosebud four days later.
Buchan also trialled four other horses – including new additions Stylebender, Hotchi and Rennata – at Hawkesbury.
Tavistock gelding Stylebender hasn’t raced since June last year, Performer four-year-old Hotchi raced only twice in Brisbane earlier this year, and I Am Invincible mare Rennata also has had only two starts.
“I’m looking forward to getting them all to the races,” Buchanan said.
Story John Curtis, August 27, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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