The John Thompson trained First Seal heads the nominations for the Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
First Seal heads the nominations for the Coolmore Classic at Rosehil. Photo by Steve Hart.
Flight Stakes winner First Seal is one of fifteen entries for the fillies and mares Quality which also include Group 1 winners Amicus, Bonaria, Dear Demi, Diamond Drille and Tinto.
With only fifteen fillies and mares nominated for the Coolmore Classic, the Australian Turf Club has extended entries until 11am on Tuesday, March 10, 2015.
First Seal proved her class with a win in the Group 1 $400,000 Coolmore Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick during the 2014 Sydney Spring Carnival and was back in the winner’s stall last start with a runaway win in the Group 2 $175,000 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Warwick Farm on February 28.
Thompson will decide after the Coolmore Classic if First Seal will stick with her own age and take on the fillies on the Group 1 $400,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on March 28 or take on the open class horses in the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 4.
“We will take it one run at a time,” Thompson said.
“She goes to the Coolmore next start at Rosehill and we will decide after she runs there whether she goes to the Doncaster or back to the three-year-old fillies at set weights over 2000.
“There are a few races after that as well, but we are just going to take it one run at a time and I suppose the next question is how she measures up against the older mares.
“If she wins again in the Coolmore she will go to the Doncaster and depending on that we will back-up in either the Queen Elizabeth or the Queen Of The Turf.
“If she runs well in the Coolmore and doesn’t win she will go to the Vinery and maybe the Queen Of The Turf.”
The form line around Thompson’s other Coolmore Classic entry, Danesiri, is also looking very strong with the mare beating last Saturday’s Group 1 Canterbury Stakes winner Cosmic Endeavour in the Group 3 $150,000 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m) at Warwick Farm the previous week.
Group 1 Thousand Guineas winner Amicus is one of two fillies nominated by Chris Waller with Winx also set to go around in the Coolmore Classic.
Amicus and Winx will be clashing again with First Seal after finishing fourth and fifth behind the Fastnet Rock filly in the Surround Stakes.
The in-form Gai Waterhouse also has two nominations with 2014 Queen Of The Turf winner Diamond Drille and Adrfit who caused a major boilover two starts back when beating First Seal in the Group 2 $175,000 Liberty International Underwriters Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 14.
Other fillies and mares nominated for the Coolomre Classic are Abduction, Arabian Gold, Mahara, Pluckey Belle, Tarloshan and Thump.
