News

Secret's out about gutsy Flyer

23rd Aug 2009

Herald Sun - Michael Manley - Sunday, 23 August 2009

VICTORIA'S most improved sprinter Secret Flyer underlined his potential with an amazing effort to win the BC3 Future Stars Sprint from a seemingly impossible position in the straight.

Turning for home, Secret Flyer, which had been a clear last, still only had a handful of horses behind him and spotted tearaway leader Mrs Waters a six-length start with 150m to go.

But he swooped home down the outside to get up in the final stride.

Secret Flyer ran his last 200m in 11 seconds and his last 400m in 22.20 seconds.

Trainer Mark Young was impressed, but said he still wanted to see how he went in the McEwen Stakes (1000m) in three weeks at Moonee Valley before committing to the Group One Manikato Stakes (1200m), also at Moonee Valley on September 25.

This was Secret Flyer's fifth win from his past six starts, his only failure being in the Newmarket Handicap when he finished ninth.

"He hit the line really well and I'll take it from his next start," Young said.

Going into the race, he said, he was worried by the day favouring on-pacers.

"I'm really happy with that performance," he said.

"The reason you get up in the morning is the hope that you've got a Group One horse and that's the aim with him."

Jockey Craig Williams said he had not ridden Secret Flyer for more than 18 months and said he felt much better.

"When I rode him last he had fake hooves, but now he's got normal shoes and normal feet and feels much better," Williams said.

HORSHAM trainer Greg Baker said he achieved step one of a two-step aim when his consistent mare Belleza Veloz took out the Dr. Sheahan Plate (1200m, mares).

"The plan was for her to win today to make sure she would get a run in the Let's Elope Stakes at Flemington in a fortnight, so she can try and get some black type," Baker said.

The $200,000 Let's Elope Stakes is over 1400m on September 5.

Steven King settled Belleza Veloz ($6.50) midfield and managed to get her to the outside and swoop home to grab Estee ($15) by a long neck, with Betty's Belle ($9) a nose away third.

La Goulue, backed from $2.20 into $2.10, settled third and struggled in the run to the line.