The winner of five of her previous eight starts, the No Nay Never (USA) mare Sigh made her stakes debut count when defeating the defending champion Mileva in Saturday’s Group III Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.
A first stakes-winner for apprentice Carleen Hefel, the Peter Moody-trained mare defeated Mileva (Headwater) by a head, with General Beau (Brazen Beau) a length back in third.
Carrying Yulong’s bottle green and white checked sleeves, Sigh advances her record to six wins and a second from nine starts with earnings of $390,440.
Mileva came within a head of providing Kia Ora Stud with an instant dividend on the $700,000 it forked out for the 4-time stakes-winning daughter at the Inglis Chairman's Sale.
Assistant trainer Catherine Coleman said the win vindicated the decision to miss last week's Listed Santa Ana Lane Stakes.
“Gate one was a concern, but the way the day played out it. gave us a bit of confidence they would come off the rail and give us room to build momentum,” Coleman said.
“A lot of credit goes to Mr Zhang and the whole Yulong team, allowing us to take our time to give her a chance to mature, which is paying dividends.
‘There is more to her than this race.
“Carleen does so much work for us behind the scenes. It means the world to us when one of our jockeys, who put in the hard yards, makes it more special.”
Sigh was an $85,000 purchase for Yu Long Investments from the Tyreel Stud draft at the 2019 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale.
Bred by Matrix Bloodstock, the 4yo daughter of No Nay Never (USA) is the first foal of the 3-time winning Authorized mare Fantasize a half-sister to the 5-time winner and Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes runner-up Mr Sneaky (High Chaparral) and dual Group II placed Mr So and So (So You Think).
Fantasize was an $80,000 purchase for Mapperley Stud from the Lime Country draft at the 2019 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale.
After foaling a colt by Contributer (IRE) last spring, Fantasize revisited Mapperley Stud’s dual Group 1 winning son of High Chaparral (IRE).
Sigh comes from the second of four crops left by the Coolmore shuttler No Nay Never and is the 52nd black-type winner for the son of Scat Daddy (USA), who commands a fee of €175,000 at Coolmore, Ireland.
