Fell Swoop takes a big step at w-f-a
Canberra trainer Matt Dale may have to reassess Stradbroke Handicap plans for Fell Swoop in the wake of his performance at his first weight-for-age start.
The only horse to get past Fell Swoop in Saturday’s Group One TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick was Chautauqua who sits at the top of the world’s sprinting ranks.
The winner of eight of his 13 starts, Fell Swoop also has a Group One second to Flamberge in the Oakleigh Plate this campaign.
“Brisbane has been on the radar for him but we will have a talk about what to do next,” Dale said.
“He is only lightly raced and still has a lot of maturing to do.
“He is not seasoned enough yet but is getting there and he ran out of his skin.
“We will look long and hard at what we do.”
Among Fell Swoop’s wins are two at Listed level in Melbourne last spring in the Cup Club Stakes and Testa Rossa Stakes.
Griante finished third in the first of those but showed she too had gone to another level when she won the Group One Galaxy last month.
Fell Swoop made a mess of the start in the Galaxy (1100m) and ran home strongly to finish 1-1/2 lengths fourth.
Hong Kong-based Australian Zac Purton, who had earlier won the Sires’ Produce Stakes on Yankee Rose, also said Fell Swoop had a bit to learn.
“Mid-race for some reason he grabbed the bit and wanted to get going,” he said.
“Matty didn’t want me to fight him too much and he said to just go with the flow.
“It was a very good effort.”
Three-year-old Exosphere, who started the $3.10 TJ Smith favourite ahead of Chautauqua, pulled up from his unplaced run with lameness in his off foreleg.