Debut Victory for $1.2 Million Fastnet Filly

The most expensive filly sold at the 2017 Magic Millions Yearling Sale was blue-blooded filly Angel (3f Fastnet Rock  x Dazzling Gazelle, by more than Ready), who made a winning debut at Geelong on Thursday. Prepared by the Hayes / Dabernig training partnership, Angel was a short priced favourite for the 1118 metre two year-old fillies maiden having shown good ability in three previous trials, two of them behind leading Magic Millions contenders Sunlight and Nomothaj. Drawn near the outside, Angel was sent forward from the gates by Mark Zahra and had to do a bit of work to take over second position when it looked as though she would be posted three wide. To her credit, she relaxed when she got there and had plenty left in the tank when it came time to quicken up down the running and she duly forged clear to win by two lengths in a dominant display. “It was a good effort as I had to put her out of her comfort zone to get her up to second in the run, but otherwise we were going to be wide,” said Zahra. “She’s still got a bit to learn, but she couldn’t have done any more than she did today.” A $1.2 million Magic Millions purchase from the Coolmore draft, the daughter of Fastnet Rock runs for Coolmore and US based Stonestreet Stables, who purchased her dam Dazzling Gazelle from the Teeley Assets Dispersal in 2014 for $400,000. At the same sale, Stonestreet also bought Angel’s half-sister Miracles of Life for $900,000. At that time, Miracles of Life had won the Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes and then for her new owners she added the Group I SAJC William Hill Classic. Angel is the fourth foal of Dazzling Gazelle, an unraced daughter of More Than Ready from the family of Group winners Exclusive Halo, Miss Jugah and Kiwi based Sumstreetsomewhere.