News

Politeness Adds Sunshine To Sly's Day

31st Oct 2015

Politeness added plenty of sunshine to part-owner Phil Sly's day at Flemington with an exceptional victory in the Group 1 VRC Myer Classic over 1600m ahead of fellow Inglis Easter graduate Fenway.

Politeness (Street Sense x Berengaria) was steered around the outside of the field to take the lead at the 200m, where she fought strong advances from Fenway (High Chaparral x Deedra) to post her first win at the famed track, and the first Derby Day win for Aquanita Racing’s Robert Smerdon.

“She’s won five Group 3 races and the only way her long term value was going to increase was to win at Group 1 level, so we made this race our target,” said Smerdon.

The five-year-old is owned by Katsumi Yoshida and Phil Sly, who despite ill health has been trackside to relish in each of her recent wins.

"It's a great, great feeling, I don't even feel like I've got cancer at the moment. It keeps me alive,” said Sly.

Jockey Dwayne Dunn was full of praise for the mare adding "a good mare in-form is hard to beat. She's solid as a rock."

Politeness was bred by Sledmere Stud and sold from their draft at the 2012 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale to Malua Bloodstock in conjunction with Bahen Bloodstock for $115,000. Today’s win takes her earnings past $900,000.

Despite some initial hesitation to race the mare into the spring, there can be no doubt that another preparation was the right decision as Politeness adds her name to an elite honour roll of Myer Classic winners including Typhoon Tracy, Hurtle Myrtle, Red Tracer, Forensics and Divine Madonna.

After today’s win the mare will head to the paddock, however her future in the new year is yet to be determined, with Sly saying “She was going to Japan and I had spoken to Katsumi and he had already booked her ticket, but now she's probably going to stay in Australia and look at the autumn in Sydney.”

From the unraced Commands mare Berengaria, Politeness is the sixth Group 1 winner sired by Kentucky Derby victor Street Sense (by Street Cry).

Politeness' yearling three-quarter-brother by Street Cry will be offered at the 2016 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale by Sledmere Stud.