Sydney trainer Annabel Neasham to saddle up first Adelaide runner with Learning To Fly in Group 1 Robert Sangster
Group 1-winning trainer Annabel Neasham is excited to have her first runner in Adelaide on Saturday, when talented filly Learning To Fly takes on the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville.
The top Sydney handler has saddled up runners all over the country, but has never had a horse in her care race in South Australia.
READ: Gun mare's comeback tour goes full circle in Sangster
"I've always wanted to have runners at the carnival down there, and just haven't quite had the right horses (previously)," Neasham said.
"I suppose I haven't been training all that long, but it's certainly been a carnival that I've always looked at in seeing what I can send down, and she was certainly the obvious one to have as my first runner down there."
Neasham is excited to have Learning To Fly back in work following a lengthy spell, and has been encouraged by what the filly has shown in her two return runs.
She will head into Saturday's $1 million sprint fresh, with eight weeks between runs.
"(I'm) really looking forward to it, she's obviously still pretty unexposed, she's very lightly raced, her first-up run in the Light Fingers (second) after such a long lay-off was very good and her run in the Surround Stakes (fourth) was good but it was only two weeks later," she said.
"I felt that maybe she wanted a little freshen up heading toward a Group 1, we picked out this race because she's (already) got a Group 2 on her CV - but we would love to add a Group 1.
"We got her down to our Pakenham stable last Monday, she had a jumpout on Tuesday, and she's obviously had a couple of gallops going left-handed because of course most of her work to date has been going in the Sydney direction.
"She's taken it all in her stride, she looks great, I'm really looking forward to it, it's a pretty strong field but that's what you expect going into a Group 1."
READ: Robert Sangster Stakes: Barrier draw winners and losers
Learning To Fly burst on to the scene winning her first three starts, including the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m), before an ill-fated tilt at the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) in March last year.
"The Slipper was an absolute nightmare, obviously an unseated jockey (Chad Schofield) and she ended up injured (pastern injury), so we never really know what that could have been - that was really gutting," she said.Learning To Fly is TOUGH!
She claims the Reisling and her next stop is the Golden Slipper... @SchofieldChad@ANeashamRacingpic.twitter.com/qOOhgrjyD4
- 7HorseRacing ðŸÂÂÂÂŽ (@7horseracing) March 4, 2023
The injury saw the filly sent to the paddock, and while she's always been mentally mature beyond her years, physically she's come back even better.
"Physically she's grown, she's a big scopey horse, she's still not completely furnished, she's just going to keep getting better - I'm hoping that she will race on as a four-year-old," he said.
"She's quite a tall, imposing filly. She's taller than average for a three-year-old fill.
"She's very elegant, well-balanced and has a massive stride, she has all the right attributes to be a Group 1 horse - we've just got to put it together now."
The filly has drawn barrier 13 of 14 for the Sangster, with regular Sydney hoop Chad Schofield set to ride.
"We probably would've liked to have drawn a little bit softer, but a friend of mine sent me a stat that six of the last 10 winners have drawn double digits - so I was happy to see that," Neasham said.
Depending on Saturday's result, the filly is a chance to tackle SA's other $1 million sprint in two weeks time, or could head to Queensland.
"We've treated this (the Sangster) as a bit of a grand final for her, that being said it's only her third run (this prep) so there is the option to go up North or you've got The Goodwood (1200m) after," she said.
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"We'll see how she fares on Saturday and then talk to Coolmore and Kia Ora and make a plan from there but hopefully we can get a Group 1 with her."
While she won't be at Morphettville on Saturday due to a wedding, Neasham will be watching intently when the gates fly back for the Sangster.
"Apparently there's a big screen at the wedding, so I'll be watching it on that with a couple of the other Coolmore people - it'll be exciting," she said.
Learning To Fly is a $15 chance on TAB fixed odds for the Group 1 Sangster Stakes with boom filly Estriella the race favourite at $3.
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Morphettville Race 8
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Sportsbet Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m)
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| 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 10.5 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 9 | 8 | 8.5 | |||
| 4.8 | 5 | 5 | 4.8 | 5 | 4.5 | 6 | 5 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 5 | |||
| 9 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 9 | 7 | 30 | 9 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9 | |||
| 8.5 | 9 | 9 | 8.5 | 9 | 11.5 | 790 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 8.5 | 9 | |||
| 21 | 23 | 29 | 26 | 26 | 9.4 | 800 | 26 | 26.5 | 21 | 26 | 26 | |||
| 101 | 71 | 126 | 71 | 91 | 13 | 910 | 71 | 73 | 71 | 126 | 91 | |||
| 31 | 26 | 31 | 26 | 27 | 9.4 | 80 | 26 | 27 | 31 | 26 | 27 | |||
| 101 | 71 | 101 | 81 | 81 | 6 | 920 | 71 | 77 | 81 | 101 | 81 | |||
| 151 | 91 | 151 | 101 | 126 | 12 | 930 | 101 | 111 | 91 | 126 | 126 | |||
| 81 | 67 | 101 | 81 | 81 | 13 | 140 | 71 | 85 | 81 | 101 | 81 | |||
| 34 | 27 | 34 | 34 | 31 | 11.5 | 910 | 31 | 35 | 31 | 29 | 31 | |||
| 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 1.92 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 2.65 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | |||
| 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 65 | 10 | 10.6 | 11 | 10 | 10 | |||
| 26 | 26 | 34 | 26 | 27 | 11 | 60 | 31 | 24.5 | 26 | 29 | 27 | |||
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Market percentage
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121 | 122 | 114 | 120 | 119 | 198 | 66 | 120 | 120 | 118 | 119 | 119 | ||
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Quick Bet
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Form Guide
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