Exciting Frankel (GB) filly Hungry Heart staged a last to first performance in Saturday’s $200,000 Group II Drinkwise Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) at Randwick to book a spot in the $3,500,000 Group 1 Golden Slipper at Rosehill on March 21.
Given plenty of time to find her feet by James McDonald, Hungry Heart settled at the tail of the field as Brenton Avdulla pushed on to lead on the favourite Stellar Pauline.
Hungry Heart looking ahead to the Golden Slipper images Steve Heart
Making her run down the centre of the track, Hungry Heart collared Stellar Pauline at the 200 metres and pulled clear to defeat the daughter of Not A Single Doubt by three-quarters of a length with another daughter of Not A Single Doubt, Dismissal, two and a quarter lengths back in third.
It was the fourth consecutive runner-up finish for Stellar Pauline.
The Chris Waller-trained Hungry Heart impressed in a barrier trial at Rosehill back in December but made her career debut in Melbourne when second to Jabali Ridge at Flemington on January 11.
Waller said the daughter of Frankel (GB) had plenty more to offer and will head to the Golden Slipper without another run.
"She is obviously a very talented horse to win like this today and I think there's more to come," Waller told AAP.
"We have thought she is a very good filly for a while. We haven't complicated things.
"We thought enough of her to send her to Melbourne thinking we might be a Blue Diamond chance, but we didn't put too much pressure on her.
"She ran a good second and we thought, we'd leave the Blue Diamond and see how she ran today, and she would tell us where she wants to go."
James McDonald said the filly would be even better suited as the distances increase.
"She will feel better in the Sires'. She is very raw but has plenty of ability as she displayed today," McDonald said.
"Once I was so close to the eventual leader, it was all over red rover."
Purchased by the Belmont Bloodstock Agency for $300,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Hungry Heart races in the colours of her breeder Yulong Investments.
The striking daughter of Frankel is the first foal of her dam Harlech (GB) who was sold off by Godolphin after failing at her only start in England.
She was purchased by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock / Yulong Investments for $60,000 gns out of the Godolphin draft at Tattersalls. Put in foal to Frankel (GB) to southern hemisphere time, Harlech (GB) landed in Australia in January 2017.
A daughter of that fabulous broodmare sire Pivotal, Harlech (GB) is a half-sister to the Group II-placed Maamora (Dubawi) out of the stakes-winning Azamour mare Zoowraa from the family of the Belmont Stakes and Preakness Stakes winner Risen Star.
Harlech (GB) has a Snitzel colt in the Yulong draft heading to the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale as Lot 482 and she foaled a Snitzel filly last spring.
Hungry Heart becomes the 50th stakes-winner for Juddmonte Farms world champion racehorse Frankel (GB).
