Darley Stud’s Street Boss (USA) made a blazing start to the day at Sale, with the first two winners, the two-year-old debutant Highly Discreet and the promising three-year-old filly Bless Her, who both look destined for better things.
Phillip Stokes has enjoyed great success with the ‘Discreet’ family and he has another likely type here in the 2yo filly Highly Discreet.
Ridden by Ben Thompson, Highly Discreet finished strongly despite laying in to defeat the pacesetter Lady With Charm (Charm Spirit) by a short-half-head with the favourite Night Of Delight (Night Of Thunder) a half length back in third after over-racing at her career debut.
“She’s a sharp filly and though she did a long wrong she has a lot of upside,” Stokes told racing.com.
“With the restrictions, we haven’t been able to get a trial into her she has just had a few jump-outs. We thought only greenness would beat her today and it nearly did.
“It’s good to get a winner for David Peacock and his crew they are big supporters and the Discreets are going really well at the moment.
“I might give her one more run an put her out she will keep improving, next preparation she will be a nice filly.
A homebred for David Peacock Highly Discreet becomes the fifth winner for the 4-time Listed winner Very Discreet (Exceed And Excel) who is also the dam of Naafer (L o n h r o ) who was runner-up in the Group 1 South African Nursery at Turffontein.
Very Discreet is herself a three-quarter sister to the Group II Edward Manifold Stakes winner Serenely Discreet and a half-sister to dual stakes-winner I’m Discreet and Listed winner Forever Discreet.
If Highly Discreet scraped in by the narrowest of margins, there was no such worries for Street Boss’s second winner on the day.
After placing at three of her first four starts, the Shea Eden-trained Bless Her was a class above in a 4-length romp in an 1112 metre maiden.
Jye McNeil enjoyed an armchair ride on the short-priced favourite.
A $40,000 purchase by TD Wilson out of the Maluka Thoroughbreds draft at the 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, bless Her is the second winner from as many to race out of the unraced Commands mare Blessit.
“It’s exciting for the preparation ahead and I’m rapt for the owners,” Eden told racing.com.
“She’s always impressed us although last prep we didn’t get it to all click together. The form around her was good. With a bit of improvement and age we hope to get a solid prep under her and see her step up to city grade.”
Bless Her’s dam Blessit is a half-sister to the Group III winner Red Flair (Testa Rossa) and the well-performed Hong Kong-trained gelding Hello Pretty (Distorted Humor).
Blessit has a Dundeel colt (Lot 303) in the Maluka Thoroughbreds draft at the Inglis Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale.
Street Boss (USA) will stand at a fee of $27,500 at Darley's Northwood Park in 2020.