Talented four-year-old Forever Loved has delivered trainer Gai Waterhouse another black type victory late on Turnbull Stakes day; displaying a keen turn of foot in the final straight at Flemington to take out the Group 2 Blazer Stakes (1400m) with ease.
Forever Loved has secured an impressive win in the Group 2 Blazer Stakes. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia
Jumping from the gates well, the High Chaparral mare settled in prime position on the heels of early leaders Mezeray Miss, Bonaria and Jessy Belle, who set a noticeably slow tempo over the back straight and rounding the bend.
Finding the final straight with a clear racing line, Forever Loved steadily spooled up and charged forward, meeting and passing the Blazer Stakes leaders with just over 100m to run and comfortably finding the line a length in the clear of Enquare; May’s Dream charging home late to finish third.
Jockey Vlad Duric delivered a gem of a ride on Forever Loved to win the 2014 Blazer Stakes and revealed he was particularly thrilled to have overturned a disappointing result in the Group 3 How Now Stakes (1200m) last time out.
“She ran outstanding first-up and we had a plan the other day to go quiet; we thought there was going to be more speed in that race and they walked. I came back in and said to Gai ‘She rain well, she ran last but she ran well’,” Duric said immediately after the Blazer Stakes.
“We rolled the dice to get in today and we did, and she always travelled like the winner and kicked on really strong.
“She got a little bit lost up the straight but she’s a relatively lightly-raced mare and hopefully she can go on and win another one.”
Securing just her third competitive race win when taking out this afternoon’s Group 2 Blazer Stakes, Forever Loved has continued a largely strong run of form through the 2014 Australian racing calendar, highlighted by a strong run for third in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) and fourth in the Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m) over the Autumn Carnival.
A stable mate to standout mare Diamond Drille, Forever Loved’s win this afternoon opens up the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m) on November 1st as a legitimate major target this time in.
