Quality Colac sprinter Secret Flyer sent his earnings soaring past the half a million dollar mark when he steamed home for an impressive win in the listed Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield this afternoon.
A graduate of the 2005 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Secret Flyer was ridden off the speed in a modestly run race before coming with a quick sprint in the straight to win stylishly.
At the post Secret Flyer zipped away to beat Rue Maple by a length, while bonny mare Warm Love, a fellow Magic Millions graduate, was third, a further three parts of a length back.
While he’s no Black Caviar, Secret Flyer impressed that mare’s regular rider Luke Nolen with his performance in the weight for age feature.
“I’d never ridden him and I don’t think I’ve had many rides for Mark(Young, trainer) at all,” Nolen told TVN after the race.
“But he’s a good trainer and it’s nice to be able to win a good race for him. We might get the chance for more winners together in the future.”
“I didn’t think he’d be able to finish off as well as he did after the slow speed – but he let down strongly and got the job done quickly,” Nolen added.
The win was the 11th in all and the second at stakes level for Secret Flyer. His maiden stakes victory came in a listed Kensington Stakes at Flemington.
Six of his other wins have come on Melbourne tracks while he’s also placed in an Ian McEwen Stakes, Hareeba Stakes and Century Stakes and was fourth in a Standish Handicap.
Secret Flyer is one of 19 individual stakes winner sired by Seeking the Gold’s Doncaster Handicap winning son Secret Savings.
His dam Lanadee, a twice winning daughter of Snaadee, has produced five winners from six runners and aside from Secret Flyer her best performer is Supreme Class – a five time winner in Hong Kong who was fourth in a Group One Classic Mile.
Lanadee is a half sister to the Group Three Emancipation Stakes winner Almazyoon – a seven time winner and dam of the former top Adelaide based sprinter El Maze – a winner of 15 races and over $520,000.
Further back it is the same family as international Group One winners including Hard Spun, Little Current and Prayers’n Promises.
Winner: Secret Flyer
Breeding: Secret Savings-Lanadee (Snaadee)
Race: MRC Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m)
Passed for: $37,500
Sale: 2005 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Eliza Park
Reserve: $50,000
Earnings: $527,523
Owner(s): NA & Mrs HE Austin, Mrs SL & AP Mithen, Mrs PF & BF McLean, S Higgins, M Armstrong & PJ Booker
Trainer: Mark Young (Colac)