Melbourne, February 14 – Proven stakes winning filly Speedy Natalie will head toward the Group One Australasian Oaks at Morphettville following her dashing win at Moonee Valley on Saturday in the open fillies event over 1500 metres.
Prepared at Caulfield by the red hot Peter Moody, Speedy Natalie was aided by a heady ride from Luke Nolen to skip clear of her rivals approaching the turn and set up a winning break.
Moody said the ride was the difference between winning and not.
"Credit where credit is due – the ride won the race," he said. "He got around the favourite and pinched a break on her."
"Her condition probably gave out a bit, second up over the 1500 (metres), but she got the coin today and there’s some nice improvement in her," Moody added.
A $70,000 purchase for Bill Mitchell from the Yarraman Park draft at the 2008 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, Speedy Natalie has won two of five starts earning $94,555 and is already a stakes-winner having won the Listed SAJC Dequetteville Stakes on debut last July with several of her runs since dogged by bad luck.
"It’s good to see her back in the winner’s list. I’m looking at getting her back to Adelaide in about a month’s time for that Australasian Oaks," Moody said.
"She’ll come back here for the mile Group Two in a couple of weeks and that leads nicely into the Oaks over 2000 (metres)."
A daughter of promising young sire Al Maher, Speedy Natalie is one of four winners from stakes-winning Brocco (USA) mare Speedy Bell, a half-sister to stakes-winner Whoever.
Speedy Bell has no yearling for the sales this year, but had a colt last spring by Fastnet Rock and was then covered by record breaking sprinter Northern Meteor in his first season at stud.
