Classy mare Solicit has strolled in to claim the Group 3 The Vanity at Flemington today ahead of a spirited Critical Angel and Girl In Flight.
Breaking from the barriers near-perfectly, Solicit took up the early pace and opened a large gap along with Critical Angel rounding the bend before comfortably straightening and pulling clear of the O’reilly filly to finish three lengths in-front and five to strong finishing Girl In Flight in third.
Co-trainer Mathew Ellerton was confident the form Solicit had shown in preparations would deliver a good first-up result.
“She’s seasoned and made easy work of it today” Ellerton said after the race.
“I thought she’d lead; she’s pretty fresh. It took a quick one to lead her in the jump outs here last Friday and I couldn’t see her not leading.
While currently unsure which direction the Street Cry filly would take this preparation, Ellerton has not ruled out a step up in distance as a realistic option for Solicit following today’s remarkable win.
“We’ll be guided by her – she was a bit wishy washy in her coat today, I hope she goes home and cleans it up and I hope she goes home and does well” Ellerton added.
“She’s grown up a lot and that stands her in good stead for this campaign.
“She’s got it all before her and she’s exciting for us.”
Jockey Damian Lane missed a chance to ride Solicit in her Sportingbet Best Tote Plate (1200m) victory in September due to suspension, but was happy to get a second chance to partner the classy mare in the 2014 The Vanity.
“She’s a class filly” Lane said following the win.
“Last prep I was suspended and missed a chance to win on her at Moonee Valley, so it’s good to get off on a winning note and hopefully I can stick with her.
“She did it effortlessly; she bowled out in front easily and when I put a couple round her tail just to get her mind on the job she just really let go. She did it easily.”
Having returned to the track in peak condition, a busy Autumn campaign is well and truly on the cards for Solicit, with the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) a strong possibility.
Ladbrokes.com.au is currently offering the best odds on all 2014 autumn races.
Open an account at Ladbrokes.com.au today and Bet Better!
2014 The Vanity Results
Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Starting Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | SOLICIT | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | Damian Lane | – | 1 | 54kg | $2.90F |
2 | 6 | CRITICAL ANGEL (NZ) | Peter G Moody | Chad Schofield (a) | 2.75L | 2 | 54kg | $51 |
3 | 5 | GIRL IN FLIGHT | Robbie Griffiths | Ryan Maloney | 6.25L | 4 | 54kg | $6.50 |
4 | 4 | SCRATCHY BOTTOM | Michael Kent | Michael Rodd | 7L | 6 | 54kg | $4.20 |
5 | 3 | SENSIBILITY | Peter G Moody | Glen Boss | 7.75L | 7 | 54kg | $5 |
6 | 7 | SPIRIT OF HEAVEN (NZ) | Peter G Moody | Vlad Duric | 8.5L | 5 | 54kg | $20 |
7 | 2 | QUAYSIDE | David Payne | Brenton Avdulla | 9.75L | 3 | 54kg | $18 |
8 | 9 | REZONED (NZ) | Robert Smerdon | Craig Williams | 18.75L | 8 | 54kg | $19 |