SMART Excites filly Avadale looks on her way to realising her early promise after an impressive win in the ATC Season Pass Available Bm70 (1250m) at Canterbury yesterday.
The Matthew Smith trained 3YO tracked the two leaders before issuing her challenge which saw her go on and post a 0.8-lens win over Sea Gem and Mickelberg.
Owned and bred by prominent Queenslander figures Peter and Wendy Moran, Avadale burst on to the scene with a dazzling 4.5-lens maiden win at Gosford win in August last year.
Originally trained by Clarry Conners as a 2yo, Avadale’s victory was the first the Smith Stable having now had four starts for a win, two placings and a fourth in their care.
This latest triumph takes her overall record to 7 starts for 2 wins and 2 placings with earnings of more than $40,000 with the certainty of more ahead.
Avadale is one of 18 winners by her Group 1 AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes winning sire who was likewise campaigned by the Moran’s.
The filly is from Excites’ first crop which also delivered the above averageWA stakeswinner Flag Officer and valuable Queensland filly Amber’s Crown who has banked almost a quarter of a million dollars for her connections.
Avadale is out of the talented Rory’s Jester mare, Miss Martindale, who won 7 racs in Brisbane and was runner-up in the Doomben Dash.
Miss Martindale has since delivered a striking black colt by Excites (in 2010) and recently visited that same stallion’s Red Ransom Group 1 winning sibling, Duporth.
“Avadale showed at her first start that she possessed considerable ability and proved that with her first city win,” says Vinery’s Conor Phelan.
“She looks like she will win plenty more races now because today’s effort demonstrates how well she has come back after her break.”
