Hustled to the front from a wide gate early by champion jockey Damien Oliver, Secret Agenda dashed away in the straight for a soft length and three quarter victory.
Bonny local mare Viddora, second in January’s Magic Millions Sprint on the Gold Coast, flew late to snatch second in another tremendous run by the Adelaide Sale $40,000 graduate.
Today however was Secret Agenda’s day. A deserved Group One success for one of the country’s most talented sprinting mares.
The classy performer was sent out at $15 from her wide draw despite a strong length and a quarter win in the Group Two Sapphire Stakes at Randwick at her previous outing.
“That’s what good jockeys do,” winning trainer Mick Price told reporters after the race.
“We wanted a good barrier and a soft track. All of our pre-race discussion wasn’t at all like how it panned out.”
“We were thinking about going back but Damien showed the initiative when she jumped brilliantly and that’s what the best do.”
The Caulfield based horseman said Secret Agenda would be back to chase another million dollar race in South Australia, the Group One The Goodwood where her likely rivals will include fellow Magic Millions graduate and defending champion Black Heart Bart.
Thanks to the win Secret Agenda sent her earnings soaring past $1.25 million – a wonderful result considering her purchase price of $120,000 at the 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The daughter of Not a Single Doubt was presented at the Gold Coast by Arrowfield Stud and she caught the eye of the team from Blueblood Thoroughbreds headed by director Carol Walsh. The filly was sent to Mick Price – the rest they say is history.
Secret Agenda is the sixth Group One winner for Arrowfield Stud’s Not a Single Doubt – a former classy galloper who won a Canonbury Stakes before beating all but champion juvenile Dance Hero in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
All of Not a Single Doubt’s Group One winning females are graduates of the Gold Coast sales ring – Miracles of Life and Single Gaze, who was a gallant second in today’s G2 Hollindale Stakes, the others.
Earlier in the afternoon on the Gold Coast another pair of Magic Millions graduates were stakes winners.
Religify added to his outstanding record when he proved too classy to win the listed Prime Minister’s Cup.
A $135,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase for Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds from Coolmore Stud, Religify sent his earnings to about $675,000 with the win for the Titan Syndicate.
A six-year-old gelded son of Choisir, Religify is the winner of 11 of his 27 starts.
Just over half an hour later the progressive three-year-old filly With a Promise scored a valuable win in the listed Silk Stocking.
Prepared by Ben Currie and expertly handled from the front by Josh Oliver, With a Promise showed great fighting over the concluding stages to hold out her rivals headed by Sydney raider Nancy.
A value $26,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase from Corumbene Stud, With a Promise is a daughter of I Am Invincible and has now earned over $140,000 from just 11 starts.
And while it wasn’t a stakes race, one of the day’s best performances was turned in by Divine Quality, an untapped three-year-old from the Robbie Griffiths stable in Victoria.
Stepping up from a provincial maiden win the daughter of Sepoy showed her future was in black type races when she steamed home under impressive apprentice Beau Mertens to win emphatically.
A $185,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase for Griffiths in conjunction with Princeton Stud, Divine Quality was sold by Woodside Park Stud and looks the horse to follow out of today’s Flemington meeting.
Winner: Secret Agenda
Breeding: Not a Single Doubt-Negotiate (Red Ransom)
Race: SAJC Robert Sangster Stakes G1 (1200m)
Sold for: $120,000
Sale: 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Arrowfield Stud
Buyer: Blueblood Thoroughbreds
Earnings: $1,255,900
Owner(s): Blueblood Thoroughbred Synd, Mrs L Lewis, S Misra, Miss K Yorston, Dynasty No 11 Synd, JA Wilson, MP Heaney, W Winterburn, DA Marshall, SJ Cosson, Mrs PA Cosson, Island Sands Synd, TD Parrott, B Herbert, B Joyner, PJ McGuire, S Kuvas, Miss K Mourad & Miss D Mourad
Trainer: Mick Price (Caulfield)
