G1 Goal for Fastnet Rock Filly

Tara Madgwick - Saturday September 17

The magic Fastnet Rock x Galileo cross struck again overnight in the UK when progressive three year-old filly Stay Alert confirmed her potential with a late closing win in the Group III Newbury Legacy Cup (1m3f).

Unraced at two, the Hughie Morrison trained filly won her first stakes race two starts ago before doing a few things wrong when unplaced in the Group II Lancashire Oaks, but she bounced back for this assignment.

Advertisement

She settled well back in the field and when she saw daylight hit the line hard to win by a neck and has now won three of six starts.

“It was important, after the Lancashire Oaks, to settle her, so it was the plan to drop her in, but she was incredibly relaxed. She went down relaxed and made up the ground easy down the outside. She showed a turn of foot and has a bit of toe,” said Hughie Morrison.

“The plan was to have a blow here and then go to Ascot next month for the Group I Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.”

Retained to race by her breeders the Arbib Bloodstock Partnership, Stay Alert is a full sister to stakes-winner Star Rock and is one of five winners from five to race out of Group II placed Galileo mare Starfala.

Starfala is from stakes-winner Farfala, a full sister to Group I winner Fragrant Mix and Alpine Rose.

Fastnet Rock stands at Coolmore this spring at a fee of $165,000.

The Fastnet Rock x Galileo cross has produced nine Group I winners with Stay Alert bidding to be number 10.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Damask Rose Looking to Kickstart Te Akau Melbourne Spring
Te Akau Racing are building a strong record in the Gr.3 Cockram Stakes (1200m), and they will look to continue that at Caulfield on Saturday when Damask Rose takes her place in this year’s edition.
Stars on Show at Caulfield Spring Opener
The 2025 Victorian Spring Racing Carnival officially bursts out of the gates this Saturday with the Stow Storage Caulfield Spring Opener, headlined by the first Group 1 of the season, the $750,000 Stow Storage Memsie Stakes.
Sires With Winners - Friday August 29
Here is the full list of 38 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Up and Coming Well Named - So Who Are These Guys?
The $250,000 Group III ATC Up and Coming Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday is a race well named with a field of eight colts and geldings set to line up and while none are stakes-winners yet, one of them will be after the weekend.
Vale, Naturale
On our recent trip to Victoria for the stallion parades we had the pleasure of staying at Gilgai Farm where we met the lovely Naturale, the unraced sister to Black Caviar, who had a difficult life and achieved fame and fortune as the dam of champion sire Ole Kirk.
Via Sistina Honoured at NSW Horse of the Year
One of the greatest seasons of all time has secured Via Sistina the TAB NSW Champion Horse of the Year award. The Chris Waller-trained mare was recognised at Racing’s Night of Champions for her outstanding performance in 2024/2025 which included equalling Winx’s record of seven Group 1s in a single season.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday August 27
Here is the full list of 42 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Tara Talks Racing – Stallion Parades, Old Legends and a Weekend Tip
We’re back in podcast land as the spring unfolds with plenty to talk about following our recent run of visits to the stallion parades, so what stallions did we like?
Ruling Court Dies of Laminitis
Hugely talented Justify colt Ruling Court has been a headline horse since May last year when Godolphin paid €2.3million for him at the Arqana Breeze Up Sale and he is back in the headlines overnight with the tragic news of his euthanasia due to laminitis.
G1 Plan for Kiwi Sprinter Niance
Six-year-old mare Niance will kick off a new campaign when she lines up in the Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley on Saturday week.