John Sargent is relying on his extensive experience training three-year-old fillies to give Global Goal the optimal chance at Group One success this Spring.
The daughter of Pinatubo is scheduled to compete in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes, a 1400-metre race at Randwick on Saturday. Sargent strategically decided to bypass the Furious Stakes, the second event in the Princess Series, after Global Goal’s promising third-place finish in the Silver Shadow Stakes on her seasonal return.
Having recorded the fastest final 200 metres behind Pembrey in the Silver Shadow Stakes, Sargent opted to give Global Goal a trial last Friday. He was mindful of the racing workload for the lightly built filly, considering she will be making only her third career start this Saturday.
“She seems to have done well since the Silver Shadow,” Sargent confirmed.
“We’ve just spaced her runs and gave her a trial the other day and I’ve added side winkers as she just seems to go through a flat patch in her races.”
“It seems to have got her to concentrate better so she’ll wear those on Saturday, and the extra distance should help.”
Sargent, who previously won the Tea Rose Stakes with Four Moves Ahead in 2021 for Pinecliff Racing, is keen for Global Goal to step up in distance, with the Group 1 Flight Stakes over 1600 metres being her ultimate target.
Four Moves Ahead finished sixth in the Flight Stakes that year. Sargent also achieved success with Foxborough, who secured third place behind Funstar in 2019, and Powers Of Opal, who finished fourth to Lady Shenandoah in 2024.
While Powers Of Opal went on to finish second in both the Wakeful Stakes and the VRC Oaks later in the Spring, Sargent indicated that Global Goal would likely not be raced beyond a mile.
“She’s owned by the same owners as Four Moves Ahead, and she went to the Furious and then went and won the Tea Rose,” Sargent explained.
“But this filly’s probably a lighter filly than that, so she doesn’t need a lot, so I decided to miss that race and carry on to the Flight Stakes.”
“She’s probably not big and robust enough to be an Oaks horse, she’s more a 1400 to a mile type horse, I think.”
“There’s always a Thousand Guineas which is a bit later that she’s nominated for, but no, we’ll just look at those races and if she could happen to win one of those, we’d probably put her aside and look at the Autumn.”
Global Goal is currently a $4.50 chance for the Tea Rose Stakes and a $7 chance for the Flight Stakes on October 3rd. Bet on the upcoming races at racing betting markets.
