Sydney, August 6 – A trio of blue-blooded fillies fought out the finish of the 1250 metre fillies maiden at Canterbury on Wednesday with $800,000 Inglis Easter purchase Lady Sharapova doing best to claim her first win.
Third on debut in the Listed VRC Talindert Stakes in the autumn, Lady Sharapova was sent to the paddock after finishing sixth to Bring Me the Maid in the Group II ATC Magic Night Stakes.
Tuned up with a recent trial, Hawkes Racing had the filly fit and ready to fire for her return.
She settled off the pace and charged home for James McDonald to outpoint another talented filly in stakes-placed Twirl to win by a length.
“She’s done everything right and we had her in Saturday, but decided to take the easy option and it’s all gone right,” said Wayne Hawkes.
“It will be onwards and upwards for her going forward. Her owners have got themselves a nice filly on their hands.”
Bred by Coolmore and partners including Yarraman Park, who also bred her mother, the filly runs for a syndicate headed by Allam Racing and her breeders, who retained an interest.
She is a three-quarter sister to stakes-placed Papillion and is the second foal of stakes-placed Perfect Persuasion, a full sister to champion filly and four-time Group I winner Alinghi.
The full brother to Lady Sharapova was sold at Inglis Easter earlier this year for $1.6 million to John Warren Bloodstock and is yet to be named.
Perfect Persuasion has a filly to follow by Fastnet Rock and is due to foal again to the champion sire.
