Talented three-year-old filly Alpha Sofie has continued what looks to be a natural progression to Group 1 racing after making a one-act affair of the $200,000 Group 3 Peter Le Grande Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Trained at Pakenham by Peter Moody and Kat Coleman, the daughter of Capitalist/Sofie’s Gold Class maintained her perfect record since making the switch south after beginning her career with Queensland trainer Jason Edwards.
Alpha Sofie debuted with a fourth placing at the Sunshine Coast in mid-June last year, but has since won four straight.
She won back-to-back races at Eagle Farm in July and August, before transferring to Pakenham and winning the Listed Atlantic Jewell Stakes (1200m) after a light introduction to the Moody/Coleman yard.
The camp has now had five months to apply more polish; with the explosive sprinter running away from her opposition in dominant style on the weekend.
Coleman was suitably impressed and would not rule out a start in the time-honoured $750,000 Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday 21 February.
It’s a race that has been won by three-year-olds in the past, with a light weight and a perfect two weeks between runs seeming to line up perfectly.
“Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, but that was really impressive today, she couldn’t have won more convincingly than that,” Coleman said post-race.
Jockey Zac Spain, who scraped the paint in the Atlantic Jewell, had Alpha Sofie midfield, three-wide with cover on Saturday before exposing his mount on the turn and racing away for a soft victory on the line.
“She was aided by a fantastic ride by Zac Spain; he took luck out of the equation by putting her in that position where she was going to be able to get out and get mobile like she needed to,” Coleman explained.
“We haven’t got anything set in stone for her this preparation, we just thought we would aim to keep her to the short courses.
“Last preparation we toyed with the idea of stretching her out to a mile, but we know she’s got that electric turn of foot over the short distances.
“We will keep her to that but we won’t make any decisions on race day.
“It will be exciting wherever she heads too next.”
Spain was glowing after the race; not knowing where the filly might take him.
“She’s very smart and doesn’t feel like she’s reached her ceiling yet; the world’s her oyster and I’m glad I can be a part of it,” he said.
“She raced a little bit fresh today which she has done in her jumpouts, just this preparation; she has been a bit keen.
“Everytime I’ve dealt with her she’s got better and better and first time at the races today, she was really on her toes.
“She flew the barriers and normally she can be on the back foot, so I ended up a bit closer than I wanted to be but she just travelled so good in the early stages.
“She’s got very good natural improvement there; Pete and Kat will have her cherry ripe for her next start, wherever she goes…she’s one to stick with.”
It is once again an exciting week locally, with Southside Racing conducting meetings at Pakenham (Thursday) and Cranbourne (Friday) in the build up to the $1m Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on Saturday.
