By Bren O'Brien
The winners have continued to flow for Swettenham Stud's Toronado (Ire), who marked an early double at Sandown on Wednesday to make it seven winners in five days.
After a successful March which yielded 15 winners, Toronado, whose oldest progeny are three, had a pair of winners to begin April with Quail Hallow winning the first race at Sandown and Affair To Remember successful in Race 3.
The Dan O'Sullivan-trained filly Affair To Remember produced a memorable finale to edge out the previously unbeaten Sierra Sue (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) and claim her second win in seven starts.
Jockey Michael Poy threaded Affair To Remember into the clear at the 200 metre mark, but she still spotted the favourite at least 3l at that point before finishing off very well over the 1600 metres to win by 0.2l with Walking Flying (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) another 4.5l away in third.
"It looked like she wouldn’t go early. She got back a long way, even when Mick got up along the fence there it was either going to be a brilliant ride or he buggered it up. But it turned out and we got the result done," O'Sullivan said.
"It's a big effort to chase a horse like that down and get that result. It's good. It helps her get up in the ratings and get her in to the races we wanted to. She has always shown us plenty of ability and it’s a relief getting it done."
"It's a big effort to chase a horse like that down and get that result. She has always shown us plenty of ability and it’s a relief getting it done." - Dan O'Sullivan
The filly will now go to a VOBIS Gold race at Caulfield before a possible shot at the G1 South Australian Oaks later in the campaign.
She is a homebred for David Peacock out of multiple Listed winner St Trinians (Black Hawk {GB}), who has already produced two stakes performers in Bahamas (Teofilo {Ire}) and Exodus (Bernardini {USA}).
O'Sullivan also trains the 2-year-old filly sister named Uniquely, while St Trinians had another sister to that pair in October.
The Michael Moroney-trained Quail Hollow was having his first run since finishing down the track in the Listed Geelong Classic last start and produced a major upset when finishing well under Jordan Childs to break his maiden over 1300 metres.
The 3-year-old gelding has only had three starts in his first campaign, with a best effort a second at Bairnsdale, but at odds of $41 he put his best forward to win by 0.75l, from the well-favoured Beau Zoom (Brazen Beau) with Belvista (Deep Field) 0.1l back in third.
Quail Hollow was a $50,000 purchase from the 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale by Paul Moroney.
Bred by Fowler Thoroughbreds, he is out of Rose Pompadour (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) making him a half-brother to stakes-placed Floridita (Fasliyev {Ire}). There are a host of Northern Hemisphere Group 1 winners on the dam's side including Dr Devious (GB) (Ahonoora {GB}), Dancing Rain (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Maybe (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and her son, Coolmore shuttle stallion Saxon Warrior (Jpn).
Toronado currently sits fifth in the Second Season Sires' Table, with his progeny earning over $2.1 million. His 35 winners in total so far this season is behind only Deep Field (57) and Better Than Ready (44) for second-season sires.
Toronado (Ire) | Standing at Swettenham Stud
