Fastnet Filly Wins $1million Golden Gift
It’s been a big couple of days for champion sire Fastnet Rock with Personal (3f Fastnet rock x Personify, by Galileo) winning the $1million VRC Oaks (2500m) on Thursday and then on Saturday Sneaky Five (2f Fastnet Rock x Small Minds , by Canny Lad) became the first horse guaranteed a start in the 2021 Golden Slipper after winning the $1million ATC Golden Gift (1100m) at Rosehill.
Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Sneaky Five won the $500,000 Inglis Banner (1000m) on debut at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate day beating a big field of 15 and brought her good form to Sydney.
Ridden by Reagan Bayliss, Sneaky Five enjoyed a beautiful run in transit on the fence just behind the leaders and when shown clear running she accelerated hard to the line.
Sneaky Five scored by a long neck over talented filly Cerda with another smart filly Mura Mura in third place making it a fillies trifecta, although it was hard not to be impressed by the effort of American Pharoah colt Head of State
He was last turning for home and had a chequered passage down the straight to finish fifth right alongside the race favourite Captivant in fourth.
“She was on her right leg from the get go so she was very professional,” said Bayliss.
“She’s obviously a good two year-old having won two from two, but you know the Fastnet Rock’s, they get better as they get older, so this filly has a lot of upside.”
Sneaky Five was offered at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale by her breeder Mr Pan Sutong’s Goldin Farms and was snapped up by Rosemont Stud for $305,000 and has already won $883,000 from her first two starts.
Sneaky Five is a half-sister to stakes-winner Beautiful Mind and is the third winner from Group I SAJC Australasian Oaks winner Small Minds who has another yearling colt to follow by Fastnet Rock.