Mick Price has a Group One ambition for three-year-old Sailing By in the spring and was relieved to see the filly break her maiden with a pleasing effort at Sandown.
The daughter of Fastnet Rock was placed in the Group Three Maribyrnong Plate on debut last spring then returned in a maiden on the Geelong Synthetic track in June but could only manage a minor placing as an odds-on favourite.
Price is aiming Sailing By at the Thousand Guineas and was happy to see her find the line late in Wednesday’s The Grand Hotel Frankston Handicap (1300m) on soft ground to win narrowly.
The Caulfield trainer believes Sailing By appreciated being back on a grass track with a long straight and expects her to keep improving.
“It took her a little while to wind up but that’s her,” Price said.
“It’s a big relief because it gives her prizemoney, gives her a (higher) rating. She can go into stakes races coming up and in the Thousand Guineas and beyond.
“I’m really pleased and I’m just looking forward to getting her to 1600 metres and 2000 metres, and maybe even a bit beyond.”
Price said he would aim to have Sailing By at her peak for the Thousand Guineas for three-year-old fillies in October.
“She’s a nice filly,” the trainer said.
Sailing By, the $3.50 favourite, enjoyed a nice run behind the lead on the fence before peeling into the clear at the top of the straight.
She did her best work over the final 100m to chase down Strike Force and win by a neck with Sir Sagamore another half length away third.
Last Typhoon, the only foal out of the late Typhoon Tracy, settled back in the field on debut and never threatened, finishing 12th.
Wednesday’s meeting was the first at Sandown since April so that remedial work could be done on the surface.
It was the first of four meetings scheduled at the track – two on the Hillside course and two on the Lakeside circuit – over the next month before another series of remedial work is done ahead of the Zipping Classic meeting in November.
