Sylvia’s Mother has continued her climb through the grades with her latest win at Randwick but her co-trainer Michael Hawkes will not yet be drawn into stakes racing plans.
The filly ran third on debut in August and has won her next four starts including Saturday’s open handicap for three-year-olds over 1100m, the distance of all her wins.
The Group Two Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) for fillies at Randwick on February 16 looms as an enticing option.
“She is a nice filly with a lot of upside and has done a great job,” Hawkes said.
“She won a benchmark 70 at her start before today. We’ll have to think about where she goes.”
The filly was sent out the $2.05 favourite in the seven-horse field and settled in the second half of the field.
Brenton Avdulla, filling in for Tommy Berry who was riding at Ellerslie, brought her to the fore in the straight and she lengthened stride to beat Wonderbabe ($12) by 1-1/4 lengths.
Exceltic ($18) was another 1-1/2 lengths third with Star Fall ($2.40) weakening in the run home to finish sixth.
“She over-raced early but got into her rhythm and then picked them up in one stride,” Avdulla said.
“She is a nice filly with plenty of upside and I was just lucky to pick up the ride with Tommy riding in New Zealand today.”
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