By Isaac Murphy
Vincere Volare has sent a strong warning to the nation’s best two-year-olds with a dominant three-length win in her return to the track at Doomben on Saturday.
Vincere Volare won the Chinese Jockey Club Two-Year-Old plate over 1110m, giving trainer Tony Gollan his first of seven Saturday winners across the state.
The filly first hit the track last November, leading throughout with a strong late kick and replicated the performance on Saturday, giving trainer Tony Gollan two leading chances headed towards The Golden Slipper,
Stable mate Garibaldi ran a strong first fifth in the Pierro two-year-old plate at Royal Randwick.
Gollan said as pleased as he was with Garibaldi’s progress he rated Vincere Volare as his leading two-year-old, citing the $300,000 Inglis Easter Yearling Sales purchase's staggered prep as a point of difference.
“I’d say at this stage she’s a little bit further advanced than Garibaldi, but they’re both very handy two-year-old’s,” Gollan said.
“We saw the benefits of pre-Christmas racing, she’s come back a better filly today and hopefully has bigger races in stall.
“He (Garibaldi) ran really well down there, he’s the definition of a horse trying to do it in one prep rather than the staggered approach we have taken with this filly.”
Gollan said the filly had shown good natural progression in her time away from the track.
“She’s got a good bit of improvement in her, she got a bit hot and bothered today and still got the job done, I think she’ll only get better once she gets over the 1200,” he said.
“She has got a bit of attitude about her and most good fillies do, she’s a bit temperamental off the track but it’s all business when it’s time to go.”
The David Vandyke trained Iamican poured on the pressure at the 600, but hoop Brad Stewart didn’t panic when the horse took him on.
“They were adamant to make a race of it, they didn’t let her settle and sprint home she had to make her run for a while,” Gollan said.
"Brad (Stewart) did the right thing in kicking up and holding the inside position, she had two trials under her belt, so I knew she’d have the fitness."
Gollan praised Racing Queensland for the inclusion of the Two-Year-Old Plate, providing a bridge for young horses looking to head towards the bigger Sydney races.
“I just want to thank Racing Queensland for putting this race on, it’s perfect for a filly like this looking to go down to Sydney and qualify for the big races including the Golden Slipper,” Gollan said.
“As soon as I gave her a rest after that first run I set her for this it was a targeted race and I think if they keep it in place for the next few years it’ll really establish itself as a perfect stepping stone.”
Jockey Brad Stewart managed to calm the filly pre-race after it bucked him off around the 1600 metre start, but said it was all business once she was in the gates.
“She’s good in the barriers, she really likes to push forward and get out quick which we saw again today,” Stewart said.
“I wasn’t too bothered when the other horse came up along-side me it revved her up a little bit but we had the advantage of the inside.”