Seabrook has shown she might be the toughest of this season’s two-year-olds, claiming the Group One Champagne Stakes at Randwick after running in both the Golden Slipper and ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes.
The three races make up Sydney’s juvenile triple crown and the Mick Price-trained filly has stepped out in all three after missing the cut for the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield, her home track.
She was ridden by Damien Oliver and gave him his 110th Group One win, more than any active rider in Australia and second only to the late George Moore who retired with 119.
Seabrook ($9) came from second-last in Saturday’s 1600m-race to overhaul Bondi ($7.50) to win by a half length with Sires’ Produce winner El Dorado Dreaming ($7.50) another three-quarters of a length third.
Price stayed at home for the rich VOBIS race day at Caulfield and watched keenly as the filly fulfilled the promise he knew she had after a fifth in the Slipper and ninth in the Sires’.
“It’s fantastic. She’s done a good job and she’s thrived in Sydney,” Price said.
“She’s a sound filly, a clean-winded filly.
“She goes straight to the paddock and will be set for the Thousand Guineas.”
Pat Kearney has been her constant companion and track rider during her stay in Sydney and he been impressed with her toughness.
“I rode her after the Sires Produce and said to Mick she has pulled up the exact same as going into the Slipper,” he said.
“That is just how well of a horse she is. She just has so much more improvement to come.
“I’ve ridden her every day since she was a little yearling. I’m very proud of her.”
Price was also proud of the filly but said the credit belonged to Oliver.
“He said to me this morning that this race is won by horses that are ridden patiently,” he said.
“But from a bad gate, to get on the fence and then come around one horse, it was a D Oliver special.
“This is why D Oliver has got so much confidence in himself that he pulls these genius rides out and gets the money.
“Not every jockey has got the confidence to back themselves like that.”
For his part, Oliver said he knew how talented Seabrook was but things had not always gone right for her.
“She got knocked down in the lead-up to the Diamond, missed the Diamond, won a lead-up to the Slipper and the gate was a bit against her in the Slipper, but she ran really well,” he said.
“Last start she really bungled the start. It was a bit puzzling actually, why she went so bad, but you had to forgive her for that one bad run.
“She really deserved that win today.”
