Two quality daughters of Snitzel and Not A Single Doubt made a classy quinella in Saturday’s $175,000 ATC Light Fingers S. 1200m G2.
Arrowfield graduate Sweet Idea (by Snitzel) delivered a typically professional performance to win the race by three-quarters of a length from a fast-closing Gypsy Diamond (by Not A Single Doubt), with Champagne Cath a long neck away in third place.
Sweet Idea jumped well from gate 10 to race outside Champagne Cath while the favourite, 4-time Group 1 winner Guelph sat wide, just behind them. When the pressure came on, it was Sweet Idea who went forward and by the 200-metre mark, she had the race under control.
Only Gypsy Diamond, a Group 2 winner over 1600 metres at Moonee Valley last Spring for her owner-breeders Ron Finemore & John Leaver, was able to reduce Sweet Idea’s lead, and her effort delighted trainer John O’Shea. Her principal Autumn target is the Coolmore Classic G1 on 22 March.
Sweet Idea’s ultimate goal this Autumn is the $2.5 million ATC T.J. Smith S. G1 on 12 April, the opening day of The Championships, where she will likely meet another gifted Arrowfield graduate, Not Listenin’tome, and perhaps also the brilliant Oakleigh Plate winner Lankan Rupee (by Redoute’s Choice).
Sweet Idea, now a two-time Group 2 winner, has never been out of the money in ten starts, and has returned more than $1.6 million on the $240,000 trainer Gai Waterhouse & agent James Harron bid for her at the 2012 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale.
As the filly’s part-owner David Henderson said, “We think she is the best sprinting filly in the country and her record says that.”
Sweet Idea is one of nine stakeswinners this season for Arrowfield’s outstanding young sire Snitzel, who leads the Australian General Sires’ table with earnings of $6.3 million.
Snitzel has 9 fillies and 8 colts on offer at the upcoming Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale. Not A Single Doubt has 15 fillies and 13 colts in the same sale, including Arrowfield’s strongly made colt from Group 1 winer Dowry.
