This might have been Plan B but it proved a very lucrative option for connections of Cherry Bomshell, impressive winner of the Group 2 $1 million Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
In less than 70 seconds, the filly with the unusual name not only earned $580,000 for her owners, but she also significantly increased her long-term commercial value as a broodmare prospect.
Trainers Annabel and Rob Archibald were initially disappointed Cherry Bomshell didn’t qualify for the Golden Slipper last month.
Instead, the Archibalds set their sights on the Percy Sykes Stakes and their long-range plan paid off when Cherry Bomshell impressed with her fast-finishing Group 2 win.
“Cherry Bomshell has always been so progressive and we actually half-hoped we’d get her into a (Golden) Slipper,” Annabel Archibad said.”But we weren’t going to chase, we would’ve had to go through the Magic Night so we left it alone and came here.
“We had a chat with the Australian Bloodstock crew and they were keen with that plan. It worked out well and I’m glad we decided to fly (jockey) Ben Thompson down.”
Cherry Bomshell had won successive races in Brisbane but her prizemoney wasn’t sufficient to earn a Golden Slipper start.
But Cherry Bomshell ($17) looked the fresh horse on the scene as she unleashed a powerful finishing surge to win the Percy Sykes Stakes by a widening margin of nearly a length from Medicinal ($3.90 favourite) with Ciaron’s Star ($21) coming from a long way back to finish a half length away in third place.
“She had a tricky draw and ultimately we left it (tactics) up to Ben,” Archibald said.”We weren’t sure there was a whole lot of speed but we were just adamant we didn’t want her caught wide.
“So, Ben just bided his time and she’s just a beautiful, straight forward filly.
“She’s had a long time in between runs, it was her first time at the 1200m but she trialled very well and she’s now a very valuable Percy Stakes winner.”
Cherry Bomshell, who is raced by Luke Murell and Jamie Lovett’s Australian Bloodstock, had won her Brisbane races under Thompson and his knowledge of the filly proved vital at Randwick.
“She was a bit keen early, even going to the gates,” Thompson said.
“I had ridden her in both her wins and she was more casual, but I felt once we joined them at the course proper she was going as I wanted her to and it just panned out perfect.
“She’s a lovely filly. It’s so hard to line these horses up in the same state let alone crossing states. I just thought this was always her race.
“The Golden Slipper was a dream, well it became a dream after her second win at start three but it wasn’t to be.
“Here was always the plan. She was coming here six weeks between runs, it was calculated and she nailed it.”
Rob Archibald said Cherry Bomshell’s win sets her up well for the feature three-year-old filly races in spring.
Archibald is an ideal type for the four-race Princess Series for three-year-old fillies which comprises the Silver Shadow Stakes, Furious Stakes, Tea Rose Stakes and Flight Stakes.
“This win will set her up well for the spring,” Rob Archibald said.
“She will go out for a well-deserved spell now and we will look at the good fillies races next season.”
