John Sargent is renowned for his knack with fillies and he is taking a trio of them to the Gold Coast, led by dual Group winner Four Moves Ahead.
The three-year-old lines up in Saturday’s Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) alongside stablemate Mayrose, while ATC Australian Oaks placegetter Gin Martini ramps up her Queensland Oaks preparations in the Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m).
A winner of the Tea Rose Stakes in the spring, Four Moves Ahead resumed with an unplaced effort in the Light Fingers Stakes in February then wasn’t disgraced when midfield in the Group 1 Surround Stakes won by Hinged.
Rather than continue into the autumn, Sargent decided to freshen her up with a view to the Brisbane winter carnival.
“There was nothing wrong with her. I just thought I would freshen her and it would suit her coming up here so that was our plan of attack,” Sargent said.
“She will have this run and then we’ll see where she goes after.
“If she happens to win it, we’re nominated for the Stradbroke, but we will see what happens.
“I’m very happy with her so all systems go.”
Mayrose faces her toughest test after finishing last in the Provincial-Midway Championships but Sargent has put a line through that run after the filly knocked her knee coming out of the gates.
Prior to that she posted consecutive wins at Canterbury and Randwick and finished runner-up to Never Talk in a Championships qualifying heat.
He is also expecting a competitive performance from Gin Martini and says the rain-affected track should make the 1800m contest a more testing assignment, which will suit his filly.
“It will seem a bit further being wet and she doesn’t mind that,” Sargent said.
“If she comes through it well, she will go to the Doomben Roses and then on to the Oaks.”
Sargent has a long history of success with fillies having won feature races with the likes of Gust Of Wind, Kirramosa, Luvaluva and Quintessential, who captured the Queensland Oaks in 2012.
