First Seal to Take Flight

FIRST SEAL TO TAKE FLIGHT 
The G1 Flight S.–Sydney’s premier spring contest for sophomore fillies–boasts a smart honor roll, its past winners including More Joyous (Aus), Samantha Miss (Aus) and Sunline (NZ), and this year’s favorite, First Seal (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), looks to join that lofty group while providing China Horse Club–which owns her in partnership–with its first Australian Group 1. The NZ$700,000 Karaka yearling has won two of her four outings, including the Sept. 20 G2 Tea Rose S. over Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) and last season’s G1 Blue Diamond S. heroine and 2-year-old champion Earthquake (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}). Winx lost her unbeaten record in the Tea Rose but will not be forgotten, having bested Earthquake (third) and G1 Sires’ Produce S. winner Peggy Jean (Aus) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) (fifth) in the G2 Furious S. Sept. 6. Trainer Peter Moody shipped Sensibility (Aus) (Redoute’s Choice {Aus}) cross-country to finish second to the mighty Guelph (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in this 12 months ago, and he takes the same route with the unbeaten Thinking of You (Aus) (Thorn Park {Aus}). The chestnut won at first asking Sept. 1, and followed up with a Caulfield handicap score Sept. 20.