Trainer Jason Warren has Blue Diamond Stakes aspirations for Flyer after her impressive debut win at Sandown.
A daughter of Exceedance, Flyer took out the Fierce Impact – Quality Yearlings 2024 (1200m) on Wednesday to potentially book her place in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 24.
Warren said he had considered kicking off the career of Flyer in a Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) at Caulfield on January 26, but considered that journey would be too detrimental to his plans of heading to the Blue Diamond.
Instead, Flyer headed to the Heath, the inner track at Caulfield, where she was successful in a 1000m trial on January 29 as the lead into her debut run on Wednesday.
“We’ll give her every chance to get to the Diamond, that’s our plan,” Warren said.
“We ideally wanted to have one run into the main race. She’s done all that she’s had to do.”
Ridden by Daniel Stackhouse, Flyer, the $5.50 favourite, scored a half-length win from Last Druid ($8) with Barbaric Lad ($6) a head away third.
Flyer is a half-sister to Treasurway, who ironically won her debut on the corresponding day last year, at Moe, before making her way to Stakes company at her third race start.
Warren said Flyer had been compared to Treasurway pretty much throughout her brief career.
“As much as we like Treasurway, she’s got a bit of an awkward action,” Warren said.
“This filly has a very neat, economical action and we’ve liked her all the way through.
“She’s improving and the bigger track here today, the chance to balance up, I thought was perfect and well worth waiting for.
“Dan Stackhouse has done a terrific job and really earned his riding fee there. He’s gone where angels fear to tread through a very narrow gap.”
Wednesday’s race has proven a strong form race in previous years.
Lightsaber scored in 2021 and two starts later went on to claim the Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Flemington while the 2022 winner Ruthless Dame went on to win a Group 3 race at her next start.
Flyer bursts through the gap & kicks clear in an impressive first outing 👏@WarrenRacing pic.twitter.com/cq1NxYzufE
— Racing.com (@Racing) February 7, 2024
