A promising pair of Big Brown fillies made for mixed blessings among bookmakers at Ascot on Wednesday.
LIGHT UP THE SKY (2f Big Brown – Christmas Offer by Belong to Me) bobbed up as a $26 long-shot in Race 2 before Neverland was a firming $2.70 winner of Race 3.
Light Up The Sky was one of the outsiders in the Westspeed Plate (1000m) after an unplaced run on debut in a rough-house juvenile event on Perth Cup day. “That was a chaotic race first-up,” trainer Neville Parnham explained. “She copped the backwash after the start and got another bump in the straight. Brad (Parnham) couldn’t balance her up until it was all over.
“She had enough speed to take advantage of a good gate today and really attacked the line. She’s a nice horse and will be a better three year-old being by Big Brown. It’s a bonus winning one this early as a two year-old.”
Light Up The Sky races for Ridgeport Syndicate manager Santo Guagliardo and was a $75,000 buy from Baramul Stud at last year’s Adelaide Magic Millions. He also races Big Brown stakes performer Wroclaw in partnership with Baramul owner Gerry Harvey.
Light Up The Sky is a half-sister to city winners More More More (More Than Ready) and General Offer (General Nediym). Their dam Christmas Offer foaled an All Too Hard filly in September.
Parnham was active at the Gold Coast Magic Millions buying two yearlings by Vinery sire Testa Rossa – A $220,000 brother to Perth stakes winner Testamezzo and a $180,000 filly from G1 Robert Sangster Stakes winner Ellicorsam.
NEVERLAND (3f Big Brown – Midnight Special by Zabeel) is unbeaten after two outings following her impressive first-up victory in the Westspeed Hcp (1400m) on Wednesday. She had won on debut at Northam in September.
Owner-breeder Bob Peters was very pleased with the winner who powered home from last on the home turn. “She got caught flat-footed on the corner and had to be stirred up but finished it off very well. We’re looking after her – she’s from a nice family and I would like to get some black-type.”
Peters paid $210,000 for her dam at the 2007 Sydney Easter Yearling Sale. “I have thought all of the way through that Neverland is a real staying filly. Big Brown was a phenomenal racehorse and his stock just need a bit of time.”
Midnight Special delivered Neverland first-up and the mare foals to Vinery stallions like clockwork. She has a yearling filly by Myboycharlie, a colt at foot by All Too Hard and Peters bred her back to Big Brown in November.