Dead heat in Flemington Group Three

[Chief Stipe]

Two potential spring three-year-old fillies are likely to head in different directions after sharing the prize in a stakes race at Flemington today.

Flit, trained by James Cummings, could be Sydney-bound for upcoming autumn features while the Mick Price-trained Ready Set Sail is off to the paddock after they dead-heated in the Gr. 3 Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes.

Ridden by Dwayne Dunn, Flit ($8.50) fought back as the Damien Oliver-ridden Ready Set Sail ($26) loomed inside the final 50 metres, with the $2.70 favourite Talented three lengths away third.

Cummings said Flit would have a few days at Godolphin’s Carbine Lodge at Flemington before deciding whether she heads to Sydney, where she’s entered for the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes at Randwick on April 6 and the Percy Sykes Stakes the following week.

“She’s in some Sydney features, but we’ll give her a few days at Carbine Lodge to wind down after that effort,” Cummings said.

“She’s got a lot of scope, she’s got a big action and to Dwayne’s credit that’s what he was trying to make full use of. He just felt like if he waited too long they might have left her flat-footed and I suspect she might have caught him by surprise. She’ll come on from that for sure.”

Price said Ready Set Sail, who he described as a beautiful scopey, clean-winded filly, would be set for the Thousand Guineas in the spring.

“It’s better than running second and it goes in the book for these fillies that they’re a Group Three winner, which is all important for later on,” Price said. “It’s job done for now and well done to Ollie, but can I say he mistimed his run.”

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