The first person to console trainer Matt Laurie when his filly Se Sauver failed narrowly on debut at Sandown last week was winning trainer, John Sadler.
Laurie was so impressed by the gesture, he will make a point of doing the same if Se Sauver does as he expects and wins the $250,000 Vobis Gold Rush at Bendigo on Saturday.
Se Sauver went down by a nose to the Sadler-trained Go Again at Sandown and her most serious opposition at Bendigo shapes as another from the Sadler stable, Ms Funovits.
“We were pretty disappointed to be beaten at Sandown, but John Sadler came over and spoke to me and told me they thought their filly would have won pretty easily,” Laurie said.
“So that made me think our run was even better than it looked.”
Both Go Again and Se Sauver broke the 900m tack record at Sandown and Laurie has a couple of reasons to be unconcerned about the step up to 1000m at Bendigo.
One is that Se Sauver is bound to have been improved by her debut run, the other is her relationship to stablemate Escado (1400m) in the Bendigo Guineas (1400m).
Escado finished sixth in the Victoria Derby last spring, suggesting a substantial stamina influence in the pedigree of both horses through their mother Secret Cause, who Laurie also trained.
The breeding of the Laurie-trained pair also throws up an odd coincidence.
Se Sauver is by Bel Sprit and her half-brother Escado is by Casino Prince.
At an entirely different level, Bel Esprit is the sire of Black Caviar and Casino Prince of her champion half-brother All Too Hard.
“Unfortunately it probably won’t make mine go any faster,” Laurie said.
“I’m just looking for my filly to reproduce the Sandown run and I can’t see why she won’t.
“She pulled up really well, she’s nice and tight. I couldn’t really be happier with her.”
Escado, who resumes in the Guineas, is likely to be aimed at the South Australian Derby in May.
