The potential that the Ciaron Maher stable had foreseen for Angels Fury is now starting to materialise following her initial race appearances.
Having progressed from a maiden win at Bendigo last month, the two-year-old filly claimed the Sportsbet Race Previews Handicap (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday and is now being considered for a Stakes race engagement.
Kicking off as the $1.80 favourite under the reins of apprentice Jabez Johnston, Angels Fury crossed the line three-quarters-of-a-length ahead of Portinari ($4.20), with Egyptian Dancer ($10) a further 3-¼ lengths back in third position.
Angels Fury has always been highly rated by the Maher team, and the daughter of Harry Angel was expected to be a significant contender in the major two-year-old races earlier in the season.
The filly was heavily backed to win on debut in the Blue Diamond Preview at Caulfield in January, but the race proved to be a disastrous experience for the stable.
Angels Fury was then sent for a spell and given a structured preparation before her maiden victory at Bendigo on June 13. A subsequent jump-out indicated that the filly was in optimal condition for Saturday’s contest.
Jack Turnbull, the National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing, commented that Angels Fury had consistently displayed ‘Black Type ability’.
“Hopefully she can go beyond that,” Turnbull said.
“It’s still very early days and she’s a work in progress, but the way she won that was quite appealing and she looked to do it pretty well.
“She’s a lot more tractable now, she’s got a huge action and a lovely way of going and she’s got gears which will go a long way.
“We’ve given her time, she’s filled out and she’s strengthened and if you look at her in the yard, she stands out quite a lot.
“She’s got all the traits. She’s got speed, she relaxes and she is sound.
“There’s a lot to like.”
Turnbull stated that no firm plans were in place beyond Saturday’s win, but noted that two other Caulfield races could potentially attract the stable’s attention.
One of these is the Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m) set for August 15.
“There is five weeks to the Quezette or she could come back in two weeks for a similar race,” Turnbull mentioned.
“We’ll leave that up to Ciaron and the team, but it’s nice to see her repay the owners and do what we thought she could do at her first start.”
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