by Bren O'Brien
John Sargent's ability for unearthing a quality staying filly in the lead-up to a major Oaks is no secret and he looks to have done so again with Aspect Ratio (Declaration Of War {USA}) breaking her maiden in style in a 1600 metre race at Warwick Farm on Monday.
Aspect Ratio holds nominations for both the G1 Victoria Derby and G1 VRC Oaks next month and took a significant step towards the Flemington features, with a 0.5l win at start number six.
She tracked deep and then held off the well-supported Relucent (NZ) (Savabeel), with Pincer (Redoute's Choice) in third.
For Sargent, a win on Monday was crucial to the prospects of Aspect Ratio as she goes further into the spring.
"You can be knocking on the door and not do it, but that was more her today," he said. "Good speed in the race, a good ride by Andrew (Adkins) and she showed her staying powers in the end.
"We'll just pick her way through and she'll head to Melbourne now. Whether she goes to the Oaks, we will wait and see. I think she's a horse that will improve a lot in the autumn and even when she turns four."
"We'll just pick her way through and she'll head to Melbourne now. Whether she goes to the Oaks, we will wait and see." - John Sargent
Her trainer certainly knows what it takes to get a filly to win a staying stakes race having won the 2013 G1 VRC Oaks with Kirramosa (NZ) (Alamosa {NZ}) and the 2015 G1 Australian Oaks with Gust Of Wind (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), while Luvaluva (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) won the G2 Wakeful S. and the G3 Adrian Knox S. and Thunder Lady (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) also won the Wakeful.
As with all of Sargent's staying fillies, she boasts a strong New Zealand pedigree, being out of Poste Restante (NZ) (Postponed {GB}), who was twice stakes-placed and finished fourth in a G1 New Zealand Oaks.
Aspect Ratio as a yearling
Sargent purchased and races her half-brother Prince Camelot (Camelot {GB}), who has also won one of his six starts, and paid NZ$75,000 for this filly at Book 2 of the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Sale last year.
"I know the mare that Howie Matthews trained in New Zealand, Poste Restante was a very good mare. I went to buy her at Karaka and I went over my budget. I had no owners, but I put a few friends in and it is looking like a great result," he said.
Sargent also holds nominations for the VRC Oaks with three of his other fillies in Emeralds (Sebring), Stick 'Em Up (Dundeel {NZ}) and Foxborough (Dissident), who ran third in the G1 Flight S. on Saturday.
Mirra makes it two from two
Earlier, Mirra Vision (Lonhro) took her record to two wins from as many starts, but co-trainer Paul Snowden said stakes-racing would have to wait for the promising filly.
Mirra Vision broke her maiden at Newcastle last month and backed that up with a hard-fought win in a 1200-metre BM70 race. She edged out Godolphin filly Special Snap (Shooting To Win) by 0.1l with Grand Piano (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) another 0.5l back in third.
"She's showed to us that she has above-average ability and I dare say, she’ll get her chance in the autumn to get to that black-type level," Snowden said. "We'll just keep chipping away and keep getting through her grades, but she's a very impressive type and she is starting to build a record."
"We'll just keep chipping away and keep getting through her grades, but she's a very impressive type and she is starting to build a record." - Paul Snowden
Mirra Vission is a homebred for Peter and Catherine Campbell, who operate Bennelong Bloodstock, from a very current damline.
Her dam Mirrasalo (Redoute's Choice) is a Group 3 winner and is a daughter of the multiple stakes producer St Therese (Dehere {USA}), making her a half-sister to Group 1 winners Maid Of Heaven (Smart Missile) and Castelvecchio (Dundeel {NZ}).
St Therese died aged 22 at Peppertree Farm last month after foaling a filly by Panzer Division.
Mirrasalo has a yearling filly by More Than Ready (USA) and visited Lonhro again last year.
