With her favoured soft conditions, the Mark Newnham-trained Expat controlled the Group II Rosehill Bowling Club Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill Gardens from the front.
Expat loves a fight (image Steve Hart)
A career highlight for apprentice Tommy Sherry, the 4yo daughter of Makfi (GB) found the best ground in the straight to hold the challenge of the Per Incanto (USA) mare Belluci Babe by a neck, with the Lope de Vega (IRE) mare Le Lude a further length back in third.
A last start winner of the Group III Belle of The Turf Stakes at Gosford, Expat advances her record to eight wins and one third from 13 starts with earnings of $474,070.
Newnham said he was happy to stick with Tommy Sherry.
“He has got a really good association with her. He has got a lot of faith in her and he has been telling me all week she would win, and it was hard to disagree with him,” Newnham said.
“She has got the right ride and conditions to suit today.
“The plan was not to rush, just to make her do enough to establish the lead so you’re not inviting them to take you on, and just to get to that four to five off the fence in the straight.
It’s just good to get a Group II win for her. She is building a really good record.
“I think she deserves a crack at the Coolmore Classic now.”
A homebred for Tony McGrath, Expat is a half-sister to stakes-placed Mental Telepathy (Shocking) out of the Galileo mare Utmost Caution who has four winners from five to race.
Unplaced in her only two starts, Utmost Caution spent the first seven years at stud in New Zealand before returning to Australia in 2019. She has a 2yo colt by Redwood (GB), yearling filly by Akeed Mofeed (GB), and a colt foal by the unheralded Ocean Park stallion Ocean's Fourteen.
Important win for Tommy Sherry (image Steve Hart)
Utmost Caution was among the 103 mares to visit Dubawi’s champion son Ghaiyyath (IRE) at Darley last spring.
Expat is one of 45 black-type winner for triple Group 1 winner Makfi (Dubawi), who now stands at JBBA Shizunai Stallion Station, Japan.
It has been a good 24 hours for Shizunai Stallion Station, which also houses Animal Kingdom (USA), the sire of Friday night’s Listed Torney Night Cup (2500m) winner Skelm.
