Sigh looking to bring up hat-trick with Monash Stakes win
Sigh will look to make it three-straight wins and an undefeated prep when she runs in the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
The top betting sites had her as favourite for the Listed Santa Ana Lane Series Final last week, but trainer Peter Moody removed her from that race so as to give her an extra week to freshen for this weekend’s assignment.
Coming back from a 17-week spell, the four-year-old mare took out an 1100m Benchmark 70 at Flemington on May 20 before a tight win at the same track and trip on June 17.
On that occasion she began as a $2.70 favourite and apprentice jockey Carleen Hefel rode her to the victory by a head in front of General Beau and Zac De Boss.
Flemington R4 replay – June 17, 2023
Winner: Sigh
Hefel retains the ride this Saturday in the $120,000-to-the-winner contest with hopes of steering her mount to a first Group win.
Sigh will come out of gate one for the 1100m journey and is currently paying $5 with online bookmakers, coming in from $7.
Assistant trainer Katherine Coleman said her charge has trained very well since that gritty last-start win.
“We just thought three weeks between runs (was more suitable) and it looked like it’d be a really nice way to add a Group 3 to her resume,” Coleman said.
“She looks unreal, she’s glowing, her coat is fantastic, covered in dapples.
“Probably being the slighter kind of filly we find the three weeks between runs helps.”
A $85,000 purchase at the 2019 Great Southern Sale, the daughter of No Nay Never has won five of eight starts and earned $269,450 in prizemoney.
Plans for her going forward have not been locked down yet and her performance in the John Monash Stakes will go a long way in deciding her campaign ahead.
“We’ll see, take it each run as we go along,” Coleman said.
“If she could have a little let-up, we can get back for some spring races, that’d be quite nice as well.”
Markets have the James Cummings-trained Ingratiating as race favourite at $4, with Sigh, Mileva ($6), Malkovich ($7.50) and Katsu ($8.50) as the only other hopes in single digits.
Mileva, trained by Phillip Stokes, will aim to become the second horse to win the feature in consecutive years, after saluting last year in a fast-finishing performance in front of Bless Her.
Super Elegant achieved the back-to-back feat in 2004 and 2005, both years when the John Monash Stakes was a Listed race.