Penpel, a talented filly trained by Marc Conners, confirmed her promise with a dominant win at Warwick Farm, suggesting she could be one to watch come spring. Jockey Adam Hyeronimus, who has partnered her in both starts, was clear in his admiration, and his decision to stick with the horse paid off handsomely as she surged to a three-length victory in the TAB Handicap (1100m) on Wednesday.

Bought for a modest $20,000, Penpel had already hinted at her ability when finishing second to Agarwood on debut. The daughter of Written By took a clear step forward at her second start, impressing Hyeronimus with her improvement and scope.

“She raced well first time out and I was very confident she’d be able to win today,” Hyeronimus said.

“I have been very keen to let the stable know I wanted to ride her wherever she went because I think she is a horse with a lot of ability.

“She is a big two-year-old filly, but she will strengthen up a lot more, I think.”

While Penpel was ready enough to compete in early two-year-old trials last spring, she was held back for a later debut, a decision Conners believes has served her well. Her early work suggested she had talent, and her significant stride length stood out from the beginning.

“She is a really nice filly. We’ve had a lot of time for her for a long time and she put the writing on the wall the other day,” Conners said.

“With that run under her belt today she was really switched on and did everything right.

“For a two-year-old filly, she has got a massive stride on her and that’s the thing we picked up early on with her. She is hot, she’s a chestnut filly, but she definitely got the job done today.”

Following the win, Conners confirmed Penpel would head straight to the paddock for a break, with spring targets firmly in mind. While no specific races have been set yet, the trainer is confident she’ll stretch out to at least 1400 metres.

“For three-year-old fillies in the spring, there are so many options. She’s got the job done now so we’ll put her away,” he said.

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