A spring setback forced Remember The Name to miss her chance to target a few feature races but the filly has started making up for lost time with a win at Flemington.
The Danny O’Brien-trained Remember The Name edged out stablemate Absolute Heaven by a short half-head in Saturday’s Bruce Gadsden Handicap (1400m) in her second start back from a spell.
Remember The Name ($7) settled in behind the lead then sprinted through when a gap appeared to hit the front inside the final 200m.
Absolute Heaven ($15) raced on the pace and rallied strongly when her stablemate burst through but was denied in a photo finish, while favourite Mintha ($3.20) ran on to finish another length away third.
“Inside the furlong they fought it right out,” O’Brien said.
“Full credit to the second filly, she was well headed by Remember The Name and she still dug deep and it’s only been a very small margin.”
Remember The Name broke her maiden at Benalla last September, beating subsequent dual Oaks placegetter Sheezdashing before finishing fifth in the Group Two Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington in early October.
“She ran very well in the Manifold and Hugh Bowman actually jumped off and said, ‘This is a filly that could well get to the Wakeful Stakes and the (VRC) Oaks‘,” O’Brien said.
“But she pulled up a bit rough and had to have three months in the paddock after that.
“She’s probably a filly that’s going to be very well placed at this time of year now.”
Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au