Alabama Lass is all class
MELBOURNE - Star New Zealand filly Alabama Lass has made a successful hit-and-run mission to Melbourne with victory up the straight at Flemington on March 29.
A five-time winner from eight starts at home, including the Group 2 Soliloquy Stakes (1,400m) and two Group 3s, Alabama Lass won the A$500,000 (S$422,000) Listed HKJC World Pool Sprint Classic (1,100m) from barrier to box.
A heavily backed $9 favourite, Alabama Lass (Craig Williams) scored a half-neck win from outsider Gallant Son (Zac Spain) with Rich Dottie (Jordan Childs) a half-length away in third.
Prepared by Matamata couple Ken and Bev Kelso, Alabama Lass was taken straight to the front by Williams, who admitted the Alabama Express three-year-old did get a little lost in the run before the crowd helped her pick up and get her over the line.
"She wanted competition, she wanted energy from the crowd and that's obviously what got her over the line in the end," said Williams.
"She's showed how good she is over there beating one of their best older horses (Crocetti), and she's only a three-year-old filly."
The Kelsos are no strangers to winning races at Flemington, capturing the 2023 Australian Guineas (1,600m) with Legarto.
Interestingly, it was after that win that the Kelsos ventured to the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale to buy Alabama Lass for A$120,000.
"I had an order to buy one at Karaka, but I fell in love with this filly, and we were lucky to get her within our budget," he recalled.
Two years later, the chance to come full circle presented itself - recross the Tasman Sea, but the other way to test her mettle against her Australian generation.
The travelling part was never an issue for a filly who had already earned her wings a couple of times.
"She had a few trips on the plane, she coped with it really well," said Kelso. "She did well at Riccarton, she had to fly on the plane, and also when she flew back from here when we bought her as a yearling."
The frequent flyer miles seem to have just begun rolling.
Kelso said Alabama Lass would return to New Zealand for a well-earned rest, and hopes to return for the sprint riches in the spring.
"She's really fast, she just puts herself there, but she relaxes early in the race," said Kelso.
"We'll get her home now and think about the future. There could be some nice sprint races here in the spring, but we'll take a breath and just get her home."
Half an hour later, the day's highlight, the A$2.5 million Group 1 Australian Cup (2,000m) was taken by Light Infantry Man ($45) for top trainer Ciaron Maher and jockey Ethan Brown.
The French-bred six-year-old was third-up since his Group 1 win in the Northerly Stakes (1,800m) at Ascot in Perth on Dec 7.
Maher's pin-up mare Pride Of Jenni did not live up to her favourite tag and hype around her recent return to form, though. She took up her customary leading role under Craig Newitt, but was a spent force by the 300m, fading fast to beat one home.
SKY RACING WORLD
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