Sweet And Speedy On Australian Oaks Path Following The Vanity

Promising filly Sweet And Speedy will head towards the 2015 Australian Oaks after she finished over the top of her rivals in The Vanity at Flemington this afternoon.

Sweet And Speedy finished over the top of her rivals in the 2015 The Vanity at Flemington this afternoon. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett

Sweet And Speedy finished over the top of her rivals in the 2015 The Vanity at Flemington this afternoon. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett

Undefeated filly Wawail started The Vanity as a clear favourite and took up the running in the early stages of the race, but the Australian Guineas hopeful appeared to tire late, while Set Square and Sweet And Speedy swooped down the outside.

2014 Crown Oaks winner Set Square took a while to wind up before she savaged the line in the final 150 metres of the race, but jockey Craig Newitt timed his run on Sweet And Speedy perfectly to record her maiden win at Stakes level.

Sweet And Speedy finished third behind Moonovermanhattan in the Group 3 National Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville last year as a two-year-old and she returned to racing with a narrow win in the Ian Miller Handicap (1400m) at Sandown on January 26.

Trainer Peter Moody said that he was confident that Sweet And Speedy would be more than competitive in the 2015 The Vanity and he confirmed that the Street Cry filly would head towards the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 28 and the Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m) at Royal Randwick on April 11.

“She is going tremendous,” Moody said.

“She was ridiculous odds, her run at Sandown the other day was phenomenal and I think that she is a very talented filly.

“We gave her the month off to try and keep her fresh for another run at 1400 metres and she is a very nice filly.

“She will follow an Oaks path, whether she has one more here before she heads to Sydney I will decide that over the coming weeks.

“She is not a gross filly and she doesn’t need a lot of racing, so it will probably be a mile and something like the Vinery in Sydney into the Oaks.”

Wawail looked to have every chance to maintain the unbeaten start to her career and she will be doubtful to press on to the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington in a fortnight, while Maastricht produced her second straight poor performance.

Moody is chasing his first win in the Australian Oaks after previously finishing third with Thy in 2012 and Gee That’s Tops in 2005.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.