Fast Lane To The Everest

[Wandering Eyes]

Trainer Anthony Freedman is facing the possibility of having two runners in this spring’s A$13-million The Everest after Santa Ana Lane (Aus) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) picked up his third Group 1 win-and second on the trot after taking the G1 Goodwood H. three weeks ago-in Saturday’s G1 Stradbroke H. The 5-year-old gelding, who also won the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. last campaign but has been lightly raced this term, still needs a slot for Australia’s richest race, in which he could join stablemate Shoals (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), but Freedman told Racenet.com.au, “He is from an Inglis sale so perhaps they might pick him up.”

“I’m very picky about whether I run horses in Group 1s; I don’t like to run them on a whim or on a perhaps,” the trainer added. “The tactics were to be closer than we were in Adelaide [in the Goodwood]; you don’t have that comfort to be able to let them fall out the back in a race like this around here at Doomben.”

That plan came to fruition. Stalking the pace, the bay stuck to the fence rounding the turn and got up to grab the lead inside the final furlong and cause a mild 13-1 upset. Super Cash (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) and favoured Champagne Cuddles (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) made mild bids late to get up for the minor placings.

Pedigree Notes…

Santa Ana Lane is the second foal of the winning Fastnet Rock (Aus) mare Fast Fleet (Aus), who has an as-yet unraced 2-year-old by Kuroshio (Aus) named The Black Tide (Aus) and a yearling filly by Toorak Toff that was a A$27,000 purchase by Next Level Bloodstock at Inglis’s Premier Yearling Sale this year.

Santa Ana Lane is one of two Group 1 winners Down Under for his former shuttle sire, the other being last year’s G1 Goodwood H. and G1 Memsie S. winner Vega Magic (Aus), who was second in last year’s Everest.

Saturday, Doomben, Australia
STRADBROKE H.-G1, A$1,532,891, BRC, 6-9, Open Handicap, 1350mT, 1:19.95, Heavy.
1–SANTA ANA LANE, 55.5, g, 5, by Lope de Vega (IRE)
1st Dam: Fast Fleet, by Fastnet Rock
2nd Dam: Fleet Marguerite (USA), by Gulch (USA)
3rd Dam: Far Flying (USA), by Far North (CAN)
(A$80,000 Ylg 2014 WI Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale)
O-William St (Mgr: M A Ramsden); B-Patinack Farm NSW;
T-Anthony Freedman; J-B Melham; A$947,891. Lifetime
Record: 27-7-1-5, A$2,228,711. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Super Cash, 51.5, m, 5, Written Tycoon–Super Bucks, by Dash
for Cash. O-S B Millar, P J Robinson & M S Millar; B-Millar
Racing and Breeding SA; T-Andrew Noblet; J-Jamie Kah;
A$307,500.
3–Champagne Cuddles, 51.0, f, 3, Not a Single Doubt–Sky
Cuddle, by Snippets. O-Champagne Ladies (Mgr: Mrs M J
Hardy); B-Ramsey Pastoral Co Pty Ltd QLD; T-Bjorn Baker; J-C
W Brown; A$157,500.
Margins: 1.8 len, 2.0 len, 2.1 len. Odds: 13.00, 30.00, 4.00.
Also Ran: Crack Me Up (NZ), Perast, Shillelagh (NZ), Impending, Spieth (NZ), Invincible Gem, Endless Drama (IRE), Most Important, Foxplay, The Monstar, Care to Think, Voodoo Lad, Burning Passion. Click for the Racing Post result. Click for the free Arion.co.nz catalogue-style pedigree.

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