The Benchmark 72 event for fillies and mares at Randwick on Wednesday featured two lightly raced and talented fillies with spring aspirations in Billiondollarbaby (I Am Invincible) and Jal Lei (Sebring) with the former fading badly to finish out of the placings while the latter sprouted wings to post a soft victory.
Trained by John O’Shea, Jal Lei was third on debut at Canterbury earlier in the year behind quality colt Mazu and then won a maiden in impressive fashion at Kembla when resuming on August 1.
Ridden quietly in the early stages by Regan Bayliss, Jal Lei surged to the line to win the 1250m contest by a length and a half running away.
A $180,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Segenhoe draft for Vinery Stud, Jal Lei runs for Vinery partner David Paradice and holds an entry for the Group I MRC Thousand Guineas.
Bred by Segenhoe, Jal Lei is the second winner from Lesley’s Choice, a metro winning Exceed and Excel daughter of Group III winner Fumble from the family of Group I SA Derby winner Hard to Get.
Segenhoe sold a yearling filly by Russian Revolution from Lesley’s Choice at Magic Milliosn this year to Edmonds Racing/Kestrel Thoroughbreds and there is a Pierro colt to follow.
Sebring also had an impressive winner earlier in the day at Sandown in Adele Amour, read about her here.
