Serena Bay remains unbeaten in Golden Gift
SERENA Bay remained unbeaten for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott when winning the 2YO Golden Gift at Rosehill on Saturday.
The filly by Sebring was a debut winner at Kembla Grange when it led all the way for Paul King and the same tactics were used by jockey Kerrin McEvoy at Rosehill.
“She did it nicely at Kembla doing that, so we were always going to try take advantage of the inside draw there today,” McEvoy said.
“She didn’t step great, but we were able to muster through nicely. My filly laid out a little bit around the bend and laid out a little bit in the straight, so there’s improvement to come with her manners.”
The two-year-old has the typical Gai Waterhouse speed over the sprinting distances and although McEvoy believes two-year-old form at this time of the year isn’t the strongest, this filly must be respected on ability.
“She’s a filly that can keep improving now. It’s obviously before Christmas, always a little weary of those ones, but she can keep improving.
“She’s a quick filly and she’s only going to show more in her runs into next year,” McEvoy said.
Co-trainer Adrian Bott was on track for the win and he believes having the race experience was key.
“I think that was the absolute key, the race experience. She jumped, she put herself right in the race and she knew exactly what she was doing today,” Bott said.
“That’s why we like to take them down there, to give them that confidence, that experience so they can come here on the big days and do it all right when it matters.”
Bott was concerned about the rise in class, but he now believes he has a filly with black type ability.
“It was a big step for her coming here today, up in class and taking on the boys,” he said. “She did it tough, she bowled along at a good tempo, she was challenged very early in the straight and she fought them off and had to hang on very late.
“Ideally we’ll like to take her to the Inglis Nursery race. She’s an Inglis graduate and it’s a lot of prizemoney on offer so it’d be an ideal target for her.”
Bookmakers opened the filly at $2.50 on Saturday morning, but it drifted out to $3.50 with Sportsbet with the majority of support coming for Godolphin debutante Florid.
Reflectivity flashed home to finish a narrow second and a lack of experience cost it the win. The Hawkes-trained colt had its head to the side nearing the line with jockey Tommy Berry forced to straighten it up at a vital stage.
Ipso Facto sat just off the speed and battled on well for third with $2.20 favourite Florid feeling the pinch late.