In Flight soars to victory in Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield
Sydney trainer Joe Pride has his eyes firmly on Group 1 glory after In Flight produced a brilliant finishing burst to claim the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
Sent out a $2.50 favourite with the online bookmakers, the consistent mare overcame an awkward wide run to score by a length under Craig Williams, defeating New York Lustre ($10) and Recommendation ($8).
It was In Flight’s third consecutive stakes win, following Listed victories in Brisbane and Sydney, and Pride believes she’s heading towards top-flight company next autumn.
“I’m thinking in the autumn she’s a likely type for the Oakleigh Plate or The Galaxy,” Pride said. “A couple of nice 1100-metre races for her. She hasn’t got too much to prove to get to that level because she’s going through the grades very quickly.”
Pride admitted Saturday’s race didn’t pan out ideally, with In Flight forced to cover extra ground around the bend. But the mare balanced up in the straight and unleashed a devastating turn of foot.
“She’s a very talented mare, not a gross mare, so she could do with some time in the paddock,” Pride said. “She’s won in three different states at her last three starts, so that says a bit about her toughness.”
The victory also sealed a riding treble for Williams, who praised In Flight’s potential despite still being “quite raw.”
“She’s very effective when there’s give in the track, and this is probably the firmest track she’s been on this prep,” Williams said. “She won with a bit of authority today.”
With eight wins from 18 starts, In Flight looks poised to take the next step. Pride will weigh up a spell or pressing on, but one thing’s certain — the autumn Group 1 sprints are firmly on the radar for his emerging star.
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