It is Take 2 for Tony Gollan, James McDonald and a two-year-old filly named Pembrey when the team goes out to tackle the Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.
To say that Take 1 … in the Sweet Embrace Stakes … did not go well would be an understatement.
Essentially needing a win to earn to confirm her right to a place in the Golden Slipper … as she does again now … Pembrey was surrounded by horses when the Sweet Embrace field turned for home with nowhere to go, an unwanted situation which stayed in play all of the way up the straight.
The positive take away from the race was that Pembrey was still trying to push on over the closing stages, in those difficult circumstances, and it certainly would have added to her race experience as she had only raced once prior to that run, that being a runaway win on debut.
While the placement of Pembrey during the running did not turn out to be anywhere near the general super-efficient ride that McDonald is known to produce … when questioned he did give a lengthy, detailed report back to stewards as to how and why he found himself in that boxed-in position … the important point is anyone who counts have moved on from what was undoubtedly a disappointment and are ready to set the record straight.
When Pembrey saluted on debut, she showed good gate speed from the worst of the draw (seven out of seven), spearing straight into the lead and never letting any of her opponents into the race, as evidenced by the 5.44 length winning margin which she achieved with the minimum of fuss. That win came over 1000m.
With the Gollan runner jumping from barrier number ten over the 1200m in Saturday’s Group 3 Magic Night Stakes … 1200m being the same distance Pembrey tackled in the Sweet Embrace … you could expect McDonald to use Pembrey’s gate speed and go forward to try and take bad luck out of the occasion this time.
Four of the runners Pembrey will face on Saturday also ran in the Sweet Embrace … By Choice and Hardanger beat Pembrey home … and Pembrey had Ciaron’s Star and Lumbini behind her on that occasion, but, with the exception of Lumbini, there was less than a length separating the other four runners.
Given clear running who knows what heights Pembrey might reach but, even given the circumstances that Pembrey was a victim of in the Sweet Embrace, because of the closeness of that result, it is difficult to dismiss those rivals lightly.
Pembrey has been given the nod of approval on the betting boards though.
The Gollan trained runner is currently quoted as a strong $2.40 race favourite for the Magic Night Stakes.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained By Choice is second favourite at $5 with the Annabel and Rob Archibald trained Hellenic Belle, at $9, the only other runner quoted at odds under $10.
By Choice will be ridden by Tim Clark. Zac Lloyd has the ride on Hellenic Belle.
