David Payne has already won the Group One Flight Stakes twice and he has his sights on a third with brilliant Warwick Farm debut winner Shohisha.
The filly had to overcome a chequered passage in the straight, bullocking off the fence to force her way between runners before surging through the centre to narrowly deny favourite Pinito in a driving finish.
Payne, who has won the Group 1 fillies’ feature with Unearthly (2003) and Montefilia (2020), believes Shohisha is well above average and potentially his best horse since his most recent Flight Stakes winner.
“She has got a lot of ability. She should have won much easier, but it was her first run, she was green, she wouldn’t take the gap,” Payne said.
“I think she’s special.
“We’ll go the Flight Stakes, races like that, because she is going to be better over a mile.
“I know we’ve got some good opposition but if she can run into the money, she’s valuable.”
Michael Freedman is also hoping to make waves this spring with Wednesday’s TAB Handicap (1100m) winner Enriched, a superbly bred son of I Am Invincible out of Winx’s half-sister Miss Atom Bomb.
The colt disappointed on debut in February but was subsequently found to be sore and Freedman gave him an extended spell.
Enriched ($4.20 betting fav) showed the benefit of that at Warwick Farm, lifting for Jason Collett late despite being forced to change course in the straight.
“He’s a classy horse,” Collett said.
“He got a squeeze there at the top of the straight and picked himself back up. I thought he may lack that initial turn of foot to win, especially in a situation like that today, he’s done really well.”
Freedman’s stable representative Sophie Johnson said Enriched had always shown above average ability and she expected him to feature at some stage over the carnival.
“Michael has always liked the horse and it was unfortunate his run last preparation. But he pulled up sore from that run and the time out has been beneficial,” Johnson said.
“Hopefully we should have a nice spring with him.”
It’s wasn’t smooth sailing but the quality of Enriched got him out of trouble under @jason_collett
A @inglis_sales Easter purchase with his trainer @MFreedmanRacing & @mickwallace
The sky’s the limit for the colt related to the mighty Winx
pic.twitter.com/CuKrWZOQkZ— Gándharvà (@GandharviRacing) August 21, 2024
