Yulong’s star three-year-old filly Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express) made it look easy on Tuesday in the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes. A hot pace set by jockey Tom Marquand on Powers Of Opal (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}), who faded after leading, likely helped the $1.40 favourite who powered home from mid-field to win for jockey Damian Lane by 1.22l over brave Glen Thompson-trained Benagil (Manhattan Rain) with Chris Waller-trained Delichy Boulevard (Snitzel) 2l back in third.
“She’s a dream horse. She’ll learn a lot today. I think she got a little bit lost. She didn’t have that trail. They spread out enough and she was sitting out on a limb with nothing really there to follow. Looked a little bit lost, but when she got into it, she was really good late so she’s only going to be better for the experience,” said trainer Matt Laurie.
“It is great to win another Group 1 and great to win one for Yulong. She is proven at (the Oaks) distance and she’s going to lap it up. She’s just got better and better. We have been here for nearly a fortnight and she lost a little bit of weight on the way up and wasn’t completely settled but as we got deeper, she got better and better and I was pleased with her today. Ten days into the Oaks will be perfect.”
Treasurethe Moment took her record to eight wins and two seconds from 10 starts with her last seven wins in succession. This was her second Group 1 win after winning the Gr.1 Victoria Oaks in the spring, and she has earnings over $1.8 million.
From the first crop of Alabama Express whose four stakes’ winners also include Saturday’s Flemington stakes winner Alabama Lass, Treasurethe Moment is out of Street Cry (IRE) mare Draconic Treasure (USA). Treasurethe Moment is her third and final foal and this is the family of Gr.1 Melbourne Cup winner Media Puzzle (Ire) (Theatrical {USA}).
“I feel blessed (to train for Yulong). They’re big players and they are very supportive. They’ve had horses with us for a number of years and this was one of the first batch of Alabama Express that they had bred themselves and how lucky am I to have her in the stable.”
Written for TTRAusNZ
