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Quantum Mechanic lands Sunline Stakes at Moonee Valley
Newgate Farm-based sire Deep Field (Northern Meteor) was provided with his eighth stakes winner on Friday when the Mick Price and Michael Kent jr-trained Quantum Mechanic (4 m ex Life In A Metro by Fastnet Rock) landed the Sunline Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) at Moonee Valley.
Last seen being narrowly denied her first stakes race when finishing second to Sovereign Award (Shamus Award) in the Matron Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) at Flemington on March 6, but she finally got her day in the sun when defeating Grand De Flora (Savabeel) by a nose, while Scarlet Dream (Sebring) was another three-quarters of a length away in third.
The four-year-old mare raced in third on the fence under Michael Walker for the early part of the contest. When Walker asked the four-year-old for her effort in the straight she edged through the gap and kept on finding for pressure to land the Group 2.
"She's so consistent. She's really gone to a new level this time in,” said Kent jr. “She put in a good run last start in a tough race and an absolutely perfect ride. The track has been playing a bit towards the fence tonight and she had a beautiful run in transit, got the run and she exploded.
"It's a huge result for the owners. Mill Park Stud are in the ownership. A massive result to win a Group 2.
"The main instruction was to have her travel. We didn't want her to be on the speed and off the bridle. She travelled very well. I thought she was in a beautiful spot - third the fence, there was speed on and just needed a bit of luck.
"The way the track was playing she was in the right spot and all it worked out nicely.
"She's just kept improving. At the start of the prep running in Benchmark 70s, she went to a really good level when she won at Flemington coming from well back off the pace and it was a slow tempo.
"Last start was a huge run. She was all by herself making a massive run home. Tonight, although it was a Group 2, it was a small field and a tactical race. Michael (Walker) nailed it. It's huge. She's a beautiful looking mare and now she's got a Group 2 on her CV. It makes her very valuable. It's a dream result."
Purchased by Price for $180,000 at the 2018 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from the Milburn Creek draft, Quantum Mechanic is one of four winners out of the winning Fastnet Rock (Danehill) mare Life In A Metro, making her a half-sister to South African dual Grade 2 winner Mount Pleasant (Vancouver).
Life In A Metro herself is a half-sister to 2016 Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m) Abbey Marie (Redoute’s Choice), fellow Group 1 winner Absolutely (Redoute’s Choice) and Group 3 scorer Runaway (Manhattan Rain).
Further back this is the same pedigree as dual Japanese Grade 1 scorer Kinshasa No Kiseki (Fuji Kiseki), Group 1 winner Nettoyer (Sebring) and Group 3 scorer She’s Clean (Redoute’s Choice).
In 2018 Life In A Metro produced a colt by Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice), who was purchased by Kelly Schweida for $170,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and he is now called Star Gamble and is unraced. In 2019 she foaled a colt by late Widden Stud-based sire Sebring (More Than Ready) and the mare died in June last year.
Deep Field’s progeny is headed by Group 1 winner Portland Sky and he has seven lots catalogued as the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale which gets underway on April 6.
