Baccarat Baby has capped a tremendous winning run for Vinery stallion Casino Prince in the Princess Stakes LR on the Sunshine Coast.
She is the 16th Stakes winner by Casino Prince and Sunday’s result topped a whirlwind 21 wins for him so far in April. It was also a well-deserved breakthrough at black-type level for the lightly-raced filly and trainer David Vandyke.
Baccarat Baby sat on the pace for Michael Hellyer before fending off a late challenge from the favourite Word For Word over 1600m. “She had a tough run and to fight on and win like that is fantastic,” Vandyke said. “It’s pretty amazing knowing she can get further and it’s also exciting for the future.”
Further black-type assignments await the 3yo filly who won five of her first six starts in Queensland last year. That booked a trip to Sydney in October when she was an eye-catching fifth, beaten less than a length, in the Flight Stakes Gr.1 at Randwick.
Vandyke indicated Baccarat Baby will back-up in a fortnight for the Gold Coast Bracelet LR over 1800m. He had already pin-pointed a late-season campaign during last year’s Sydney spring carnival. “She deserves a crack at the big time,” Vandyke said soon after arriving down south. “The trip away will be good for her and then we can always aim towards one at the Brisbane winter carnival.”
Baccarat Baby’s dam Meerlust (Johannesburg) was purchased by Sydney owner-breeders Matthew Irwin and Peter Harris for $20,000 at a Scone yearling sale. She won at Grafton and was rated city-class by trainer Sue Grills before injuring a knee after just five starts.
Meerlust’s third dam is North American mega matron Fanfreluche. She’s also the third dam of Flying Spur who sired Casino Prince and the double-cross to such an influential mare has worked out perfectly.
