A longshot winner Adele Amour may have caught punters unaware but it certainly did not her trainer John Sadler.
Adele Amour resumed from a spell to claim the Ladbrokes Cash In Plate (1400m) at Sandown on Wednesday, her first outing since February.
A filly by Sebring, Sadler has aspirations of a potential start in the main staying three-year-old fillies race of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival, the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) at Flemington in November.
Sadler has always held a good opinion of Adele Amour, but was disappointed with what the filly had shown him over shorter distances at her first two starts.
But a change of tactics of going to the lead in Wednesday’s maiden for three-year-old fillies, brought about a change of fortunes.
Under Michael Dee, Adele Amour ($26) scored a half-length win from Barb Raider ($2.80) with El Patroness ($7.50) three-quarters-of-a-length off third.
“Both her runs were under what I had expected, but today we have seen what she is capable of doing with a really pleasing result,” Sadler said.
“It seems that when you ride her out of the race, as we did in first couple of starts, she loses interest.
“So, I said to Michael with no speed in race, or there didn’t appear to be any speed, that we would go forward and she showed the sort of ability that she’d shown us before on the track.
“She’s a filly that is bred to get a good trip, being an Oaks distance, so this was a good kick-off for her.
“We can go to a mile now in a few weeks here at Sandown then for the Oaks Trial (1800m) at Flemington next month.
“We’re very hopeful with her as she is well-bred.”
