Speak Fondly Gives Waterhouse Eighth Flight S.

Speak Fondly proved herself among the cream of trainer Gai Waterhouse’s juvenile crop last season when scoring in the G2 Magic Night S. at Rosehill in March, but could manage only 11th of 16 behind stable companion Vancouver (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro) in the G1 Golden Slipper a week later. Put away for the winter thereafter, Speak Fondly returned with an eye-catching win in Randwick’s G2 Silver Shadow S. Aug. 22 and added the G2 Furious S. in impressive fashion two weeks later. Second to the standout sophomore colt Exosphere (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus})–who was so impressive in winning the G2 Roman Consul S. on this same card–when pitched against the males in the G1 Golden Rose S. Sept. 12, Speak Fondly was heavily favored for this return to a female-restricted race. Looming large on the heels of the front-runner Flamboyant Lass through the early stages, Speak Fondly needed much of the stretch to get her head firmly in front and had to see off closers on both sides to hold on for a narrow score.

Saturday, Randwick, Australia
FLIGHT S.-G1, A$505,000, ATC, 10-3, 3yo, f, Open Set Weight, 1600mT, 1:35.91, Good.
1–&SPEAK FONDLY, 56.0, f, 3, by Northern Meteor
1st Dam: Blab (SW & GSP-Aus, A$206,200), by Flying Spur
2nd Dam: Don’t Stop Talking, by Ahonoora (GB)
3rd Dam: Who Can Say (NZ), by Sovereign Edition (IRE)
O-Gooree Stud (Mgr: E M Cojuangco); B-Gooree Park
Stud Pty Ltd NSW; T-Ms G Waterhouse; J-Tommy
Berry; A$305,000. Lifetime Record: 8-4-2-1,
A$870,700. *1/2 to Wild And Proud (Snowland),
GSW-Aus, $297,230. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Honesta, 56.0, f, 3, Monaco Consul (NZ)–Always
Loyal, by Bradbury’s Luck. (A$20,000 Wlg 2013 MM
National Weanling Sale) O-G J De Vries, Mrs M I De
Vries, Miss A L De Vries, J De Vries, K C Duggan,
Mrs J Duggan, Miss E L Duggan, S K Duggan, J C
Duggan, B D Lawrence & Miss T E Lawrence;
B-Patinack Farm NSW; T-John Thompson; J-T
Angland; A$100,000.
3–Perignon, 56.0, f, 3, Snitzel–Last Blaze (JPN), by
Narita Brian (JPN). (A$350,000 Ylg 2014 MM Gold
Coast Yearling Sale) O-Millsy Synd (Mrs: C D Flower)
& Mrs S Surace; B-Arrowfield Group Pty Ltd NSW;
T-G A Ryan; J-J Bowman; A$50,000.
Margins: 0.1 len, 0.2 len, 0.7 len. Odds: 1.30, 8.50, 16.00. Also Ran: Pearls, Flamboyant Lass, Kimberley Star, Sofia Rosa (NZ), Sempre Libera, Gone to Paris, Ocean Tempest, Lauren’s Magic.
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.