IBLE PRODUCES EXCITING DEBUT FILLY AT MORUYA

JOE Ible had high hopes for a young Tassort filly, but never got her to the races.

Tragically Shalidor was kicked in a paddock last year, picked up an infection and died.

Thus there was a great deal of satisfaction when the Kembla Grange trainer produced that filly ‘s younger sister Spice Baby to win impressively on debut at Moruya – coincidentally Ible’s most successful track - yesterday.

A $2.50 favorite and beautifully ridden by Louise Day, Spice Baby was clearly a grade above her opposition.

Day, Ible’s winningest rider with 20 wins, got her away well and didn’t bustle her, but at the same time retained the rails running.

She didn’t panic when others challenged on the home turn and waited until well into the straight before calling on Spice Baby.

The response was immediate and the two-year-old filly bounded clear to score by three lengths from former Victorian Caravanserai ($4.20) and Molteuno ($6).

“Shalidor was showing equal ability, and obviously it was terribly sad for her owners and myself to lose her,” Ible said this morning.

“Her younger sister (Spice Baby) has also always shown something right from the start, and really started to blossom in the last few weeks.

“Louise had the benefit of riding her in a Rosehill Gardens trial last week, and knew the ability she had.

“Spice Baby is a very exciting filly.

“She has pulled up well and I’ll gauge her progress over the next few days before deciding whether to give her another run or send her to the paddock.

“Irrespective I am looking forward to seeing where she can progress to next season.”

After Spice Baby, her dam Ice Baby (by Golden Slipper winner Stratum) produced a Tassort colt, which is now in New Zealand, and another col, her last, by Profiteer on August 6 last year.

Sadly, she passed away only a month ago.

. UNREAL Expectation’s breakthrough at Bathurst yesterday was special for a number of reasons.

And not only because the lightly-raced three-year-old hoisted Hawkesbury husband and wife trainers Phil and Tara Vigouroux back into the winning list for the first time in ten and a half months.

It’s been a frustrating season for Team Vigouroux, but the couple has learned to take such dry runs on the chin.

“We have only eight horses in work, and haven’t had a lot of runners,” Tara Vigouroux said last night.

“A number of our older horses (including city winner Itzfallingdown) have retired.

“But we keep doing everything right with our horses, and looking after them.

“We knew that the tide would eventually turn and it did.

“What was especially pleasing was that we put a few people into Unreal Expectation when we leased him, and some of them have had horses with us before and never had a placegetter.

“They stuck solid and it was so good to see them get a nice result.”

Having only his third start, Unreal Expectation ($6), ridden by Kody Nestor, led home a Hawkesbury trifecta in the Maiden Plate (1400m).

The gelded son of 2016 Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap winner Under The Louvre ran home gamely to defeat Garry Frazer’s Metal Magic ($6) and Kevin May’s Emelia’s Magic ($11).

There was further Hawkesbury involvement as apprentice Poppie Gorton, indentured to leading trainer Brad Widdup, was having her first ride in a race on Emelia’s Magic.

Unreal Expectation was bred by Sue Milson and Dale Sheirs and was nominated for the 2023 Magic Millions National yearling sale at the Gold Coast, but was withdrawn.

Thanks to a friend, Team Vigouroux was able to secure him to train.

“Phil was out at Dunedoo picking up hay, and decided to have a look at Unreal Expectation when we were told his owners were keen to lease him,” Tara Vigouroux said.

“He was really pleased with what he saw, and so we were able to negotiate a lease.”

Unreal Expectation had been placed on Canberra’s synthetic track on June 20 and July 4 over 1080m and 1280m respectively, and appreciated stepping up to the same distance at which his sire landed Brisbane’s feature sprint nine years ago.

Nestor had him away well and settled him in fourth spot with front-runner Daisuki rolling along at a decent clip.

Though he gave Daisuki and Metal Magic a decent start entering the straight, he sustained a determined burst to get there in the last few bounds.

Story John Curtis, July 22, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos