Preferment filly brings smile to Ryan’s face

[Wandering Eyes]

Prefer To Smile winning at Canberra on Sunday. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au

Trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou believe Preferment filly Prefer To Smile has a bright future instore after her two length maiden victory over 2000m at Canberra on Sunday.

The three-year-old was having just her third race day outing and her conditioners were confident of a bold showing over the further trip, having previously been tested over 1300m and 1600m.

“I thought she was very good. She is still very green and new. I think she has got a nice future as a staying filly,” Ryan said.

“I always said to the owners that she wouldn’t win a race until she got further than 1600m.

“In her first two starts she got to the back of the field and worked home quite well both times.

“I was just trying to find a 2000m maiden for her and I couldn’t find one, so there was a 2000m Class 1 maiden there.

“I don’t think they were a crash lot of horses, but we have had blinkers on her prior to her racing and she is a lot better with blinkers on.

“We put them on her yesterday and it had the desired effect. She settled well and got home well. She is still green and doesn’t know what to do, but I quite like the filly.”

Prefer To Smile will now head for a spell before preparing for what could be a lucrative autumn-winter campaign.

“I think she will learn heaps from it (win),” Ryan said. “She will go out today for four or five weeks. We have got high aspirations with her, she might get to the Queensland Oaks (Group 1, 2200m) or something.

“She is a good style of filly.”

Prefer to Smile was purchased out of Wentwood Grange’s 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft by John White Bloodstock/Kym Grant/Pinhook Bloodstock for $90,000.

The victory capped a pleasing weekend for her sire Preferment, whose progeny posted two previous wins over the weekend courtesy of Legatus over 2000m at Seymour, and Isometric over 1700m on the Gold Coast.

Preferment stands at Brighthill Farm for a fee of $8,500+GST.

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