Sister Madly showed her new trainer John Sadler she was worthy of chasing Group One success this spring with a strong win at Caulfield on Saturday.
The half-sister to former star Hong Kong sprinter Silent Witness was sent out $4 favourite in the Group Three Sportingbet Sprint Series (1200m) – formerly known as the How Now Stakes – and didn’t let her supporters down.
Ridden by Damien Oliver, Sister Madly was handy throughout and shot away in the straight to hold out last year’s winner winner Valentine Miss ($8) to score by a length with Lone Rock ($4.60) 2-1/4 lengths away third.
It was a great start for the Malua Racing operation with the Redoute’s Choice five-year-old who was knocked down for $1 million to Segenhoe Stud at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale this year.
“It was terrific. We’ve only just started this relationship with Segenhoe and Kevin Maloney. He paid a lot of money for her as a broodmare,” Sadler said of the dual Group One placegetter.
“He gave her to us up in Brisbane and asked us through his manager Bill Mitchell to see whether we should go on with her and give her a campaign or whether she should go to stud.
“She’s shown here today we should go on with her and it meant a lot to our stable winning this race.
“I feel that was nearly as good as winning a Group One mares race today and I think she can win a Group One, I hope so anyway.
“She’ll go to the Myer Classic, she ran second in the Flight Stakes behind More Joyous so she can nearly get it (1600m) and she’ll have a crack at it.
“That’s her grand final for the spring and then she’ll go to the Sangster Stakes in the autumn.”
Oliver was impressed with the former Anthony Cummings-trained mare but expressed doubts whether she would get the 1600 metres of the Group One Myer run at Flemington on October 29.
“She’s always shown a lot of ability but had a lot of problems,” he said.
“John’s got her going beautifully. There’s been no hitches with her and deserved to win.”
“I think if she gets in the right race she’s capable up to 1400 metres, but she’s probably just a bit brilliant to get out to the mile.”
AAP TURF
