Gold Coast Belle is set for a more demanding campaign after commencing her racing return with a win at Sandown on Saturday.
Trainer Danny O’Brien has indicated a progression to Group 2 company for the four-year-old mare, who decisively outclassed her rivals, including the previously unbeaten Tennessee Bound, in the $150,000 Dr Sheahan Plate (1300m) restricted to benchmark 88 performers.
The daughter of So You Think notched her fourth straight win on her first start since capturing the Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m) on May 1. O’Brien confirmed that the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at their home track of Flemington on September 12 is the next target.
“She’s probably in set-weights Stakes races for the rest of the spring, but this looked a good starting point for her and, fortunately, that’s the way it panned out,” O’Brien said. “She was always travelling very comfortably and let down really well. She got across the softish ground with no problem, so there were a few things we hadn’t seen before that she did today.”
“She gets to the Let’s Elope and then the other mares’ race on Turnbull Day (Group 2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes) – they’re both 1400 at Flemington – which looks the right set-up for her.”
While the Let’s Elope Stakes and Rose Of Kingston Stakes often serve as stepping stones to the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) on Derby Day, O’Brien expressed hope for an invitation to the $2 million Group 2 The Invitation in Sydney a week earlier.
Gold Coast Belle ($2.30) proved too strong for Tennessee Bound, which was aiming for a seventh successive victory to begin its career, finishing 2-1/4 lengths ahead of the $2.70 second favourite, with Moby Dick ($13) a neck further back in third.
This victory represented Gold Coast Belle’s fifth win from just seven career starts, with her other two appearances resulting in second-place finishes.
Although Jordan Childs has been her regular rider, O’Brien utilized the services of top apprentice Logan Bates, who still benefits from a 1.5kg claim for Saturday’s race. The young jockey felt in command of the race throughout.
“We were able to get in a nice controlling position and she just trucked the whole way,” Bates commented. “When I did ask her, gee she let go, and she was having a good look about. She just showed her class today.”
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