When
John Singleton's champion mare More Joyous retired from racing in 2013, he
hatched an ambitious plan to send her to the UK for a covering with the world's
best racehorse Frankel, and that daring move paid dividends on Wednesday at
Canterbury when the resulting foal Woman became a winner!.
A tall leggy chestnut with a white blaze, Woman is not an obvious incarnation
of either of her celebrated parents, but what she does have is talent.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained filly has been take along ever so
slowly with four previous barrier trials since the start of the year preparing
her for race day.
With just six runners in the 1250 metre maiden, Woman found herself in a most winnable
race on debut and duly delivered the good as per the script.
She tracked the leaders for Kerrin McEvoy and when he stoked her up as they
were coming to the turn, she quickly knuckled down to the task.
Woman lengthened stride all the way down the running with her best furlong the
last as she hit top gear to cruise clear for a soft two length win.
"She's been trialling nicely and her last furlong was strong and assertive,"
said Kerrin McEvoy.
"She's only going to improve and she'll be all the better in six months time."
With Woman's owner John Singleton on course to watch the debut of his favourite
equine child, co-trainer Adrian Bott was relieved and delighted when things
went to plan.
"It's so pleasing to see her come out and do that as it's been such a long
range plan for John Singleton, right back to the mating," said Bott.
"She was the ultimate professional. She has such scope and will get over a lot
further.
"We're looking a light spring for her as we are very mindful of what we would like
to achieve in the autumn."
Woman is the first foal of More Joyous, who won 21 races and over $4.5 million
with an impressive eight highlight Group I wins.
A homebred for Singleton that carries the instantly recognizable Strawberry
brand as does Woman, More Joyous is from Group I AJC Australian Oaks winner Sunday
Joy, a daughter of Group I Queensland Oaks winner Joie Denise, so it's not hard
to guess what Woman's autumn goal might be!
More Joyous has a two year-old Fastnet Rock colt to follow called More Sundays that
has been given to Bjorn Baker to train and after missing last year, she is due
to foal to Snitzel.
Woman is the second Australian winner for leading young sire Frankel, who has
left 16 stakes-winners to date in the Northern Hemisphere from his first two
crops with Japanese Group I winner Soul Stirring the flagbearer.