The future looked bright for the valuable Spirit Of Boom filly Mighty when making a winning career debut at the Gold Coast in November 2022, but let connections down in five subsequent starts.
Tony Gollan has a well-earned reputation for improving horses from rival stables. Still, he had to wave Mighty goodbye as she headed to Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman's Victorian stables.
The change in scenery seems to have done the trick. After finishing a close-up fourth at Moonee Valley on February 2, the 3-year-old daughter of Spirit Of Boom was second at Sandown behind Austmarr, who won the Listed Manihi Stakes at Morphettville at her following start.
Mighty resumed from a 19-week break to win a Benchmark 70 over 1000m at Sandown Hillside on Wednesday.
Blake Shinn sat motionless on the filly well into the straight before rattling home to defeat the 4-year-old Menari mare Cavallo Rampante by a length, with Te Akau's I Am Invincible mare I Choose You a half-head back in third.
“She is a handy little filly – there are no thoughts of grandeur,” Peter Moody said.
“She was well-placed and, with a beautiful ride by Blake, got the job done. You hope to snag something this time of year and have a crack at a better race in early spring.
“On top of the ground or a little give is not going to worry her. A 1000m to 1100m is ideal. Maybe a six (1200m) around Caulfield with everything falling into place.”
Bred and offered for sale by Daandine Pastoral, the daughter of Spirit Of Boom, was a $300,000 purchase for John Foote Bloodstock (FBAA)/Black Soil Bloodstock/Yes Bloodstock at the 2022 Magic Million Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
She is a half-sister to the 3-time Listed stakes-winning Deep Field mare Isotope, who was a $2,300,000 buy for Yu Long Investments at the 2023 National Broodmare Sale.
Mighty’s dam Great Dansaar is a half-sister to Group 1 ATC Sires' Produce Stakes and Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes winner Yankee Rose, the dam of the Japanese superstar Liberty Island.
Great Dansaar died in 2022. Her final foal is the unraced 2-year-old Deep Field colt Horizon Deep.