By Jordan Gerrans
Owner Murray Cole was reunited with his promising filly Ever Art on Friday and the team have high hopes ahead of Saturday’s QBRED Breeders Classic Final.
The unbeaten Ever Art is prepared at Menangle by David Thorn, who has a long association with Cole.
Cole bred the daughter of Forever Gold and as the pacer has been with Thorn in Sydney, he had not seen her in person since she was a yearling.
The long-time stable owner got up close and personal with the filly on Friday ahead of her first race start at Albion Park on Saturday night.
“I have had a few for them over the years,” Thorn said of Cole.
“He is a really good guy and easy to do anything with.”
Forever Gold was placed in the 2015 edition of the Blacks A Fake as well as winning a Queensland Oaks back in 2011.
The Cole and Thorn partnership had success in the QBRED Breeders Classic Final for fillies back in 2020 with Vanish Hanover.
The filly did all her racing with Thorn in Sydney before being transferred to Charlie Cini for the running of the QBRED Breeders Classic Final, which she won by two metres.
Like Vanish Hanover, Ever Art heads north for the Breeders Classic Final in 2023.
Vanish Hanover had four starts before tackling the Classic Final, while Ever Art is a little less experienced, only going to the races on one occasion.
The young filly was impressive in her debut performance, starting as a short-priced favourite and winning by almost five metres at Wagga.
“She went really good but she was a bit green,” Thorn said of the maiden run.
“She sort of went to run out but I am not sure what she was doing to be honest.
“I have put the block eyes back on her and hopefully she can concentrate a bit more.
“She should develop into a nice filly and going forward, it is looking exciting.”
Thorn – a multiple Group 1-winning conditioner – says Ever Art still has some learning to do but he is looking forward to the future with her.
“I think she is a pretty nice filly,” he said.
“She is really big, rangy filly and I think she will improve a lot. She is good to do everything with.
“As we saw the other night, she is still a little bit green but I think she will keep getting better.
“She seems very strong and I think she will be hard to beat on Saturday night.”
Thorn has booked the leading driver in Australia – Nathan Dawson – for the assignment on Saturday.
Ever Art has drawn on the second row for Saturday night, as has Rylee Rhayne Bow.
Rylee Rhayne Bow is unbeaten in three career starts for the powerful McMullen and Turpin team and is also expected to be a contender for Saturday night’s $27,800 prize.
“It is a little bit hard to line up the Sydney form to Queensland form,” Thorn said.
Thorn has had great success winning juvenile features in the Sunshine State over the journey with Expensive Ego picking up two Group 1s back in 2019.
Four QBRED Breeders Classic Final races will be held on Saturday night, one each for either sex for two and three-year-olds.