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Surprise Country Debut For Trial Watch Star

3 minute read

Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker has made a surprise decision to go bush with his boom trial winner Miss Amelia for her race debut at Nowra on Sunday.

Miss Amelia, a 2YO filly by More Than Ready from the former juvenile sensation Amelia’s Dream, is unbeaten in three barrier trial appearances that have stamped her as being well above the ordinary.

Her impressive trial form leaves no doubt that she is a potential Group performer yet Baker has decided to ‘fish in the shallows’ by heading to Nowra in search of the easiest possible starting point for her career.

She will be taking on older horses in Sunday’s 1000m open maiden event but that’s not unusual for an unraced member of the Baker yard as he makes a regular practice of taking young maiden horses to country meetings for their early racing.

Baker’s racing manager Jack Bruce said the stable expects Miss Amelia to win at Nowra and is already making plans to run her in a Group race at her second start in the $1 million Percy Sykes Stakes at Randwick on April 13.

“The aim is to pick-up some prize money that will get her into the Percy Sykes,” Bruce said.

“She is still a bit immature and doing a few things wrong. We think racing her at Nowra will help iron out a few of those issues.”

Amelia's Dream
Amelia's Dream Picture: Racing and Sports

Miss Amelia is owned by her breeder Richard Pegum, who claimed ownership of her dam Amelia’s Dream as a yearling after Gai Waterhouse bid $250,000 on spec for the filly at the 2007 Magic Millions Gold Coast yearling sale.

By the just deceased champion sire Redoute’s Choice from the classy Magic Millions placegetter Shalt Not, Amelia’s Dream won her first start at Canterbury by 9.5 lengths.

She then smashed the Rosehill 2YO record for 1100m when she coasted to a 6.5 lengths win in the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes, a performance that immediately draw comparisons with past juvenile champions Vain, Manikato, Luskin Star and Baguette.

The Silver Slipper was such a high rating performance that Amelia's Dream became the highest ranked Timeform juvenile filly in 25 years with a figure of 124, two pounds clear of former brilliant G1 winners Alinghi and Bint Marscay.

Timeform said of Amelia’s Dream after the Silver Slipper: “Every now and then an explosive young galloper appears on the racing scene who is so superior to his or her rivals that their racetrack performances leave the racing audience speechless. Experienced racegoers and trainers who witnessed her demolition effort could hardly believe what they saw.”

As a result Amelia’s Dream was a hot favourite for the 2008 Golden Slipper Stakes…..but such are the unpredictable vagaries of racing that she never raced again after she was found to have suffered a career ending leg injury in the Silver Slipper.

Amelia’s Dream has, in part, compensated Pegum for the disappointment of missing the 2008 Golden Slipper – ironically won by her Waterhouse-trained stablemate Sebring - by producing several winners for the affluent owner including the stakes winner Better Land.

Pegum has also made a decent pile out of selling several of her foals for prices up to $910,000 but was always going to retain Miss Amelia for racing and future breeding.

Here’s what our Trial Watch Reviews have said of the three trial wins by Miss Amelia at Warwick Farm on November 9, Rosehill on November 19 and most recently at Warwick Farm on March 22.

WARWICK FARM November 9: Being by More Than Ready out of Amelia’s Dream she carries plenty of pedigree expectations and the ability is certainly there judging by her impressive 800m trial win. Sat back fourth behind the lead line and surged through a split one off the fence at the 200m to easily put them away with plenty in hand (47.76/34.10). Always like a raw youngster who can accelerate from off the pace. (NOTE: Subsequent Group winner Tenley finished third in this heat).

ROSEHILL November 19: Emerging as a boom filly after recording her second impressive trial win to go with her classy effort at Warwick Farm on November 9. This time she led her 900m heat comfortably and had plenty in hand cruising to the line to safely hold a good effort from a promising runner-up Hidden Talent. Her time (54.32) was sharp and she could have gone quicker. Ready to go to the races.

WARWICK FARM March 22: Miss Amelia made her return and again showed that she is a real talent with another exciting win. She was given time to find her legs in the first 150m of her 801m heat then tracked wide to loop the field from the 500m and cruise down the running under a huge hold from James McDonald in easily the fastest of the 2YO heats (47.56; 34.16).


Racing and Sports

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