Exciting Return for Learning to Fly

Tara Madgwick - Sunday February 18

Nearly a year away from racing has done nothing to dim the ability of Justify (USA) filly Learning to Fly.

The Annabel Neasham trained Learning to Fly was the dominant two year-old filly last season, but has been off the scene since losing her rider in the Golden Slipper, however a strong finishing second in the Group II ATC Light Fingers Stakes at Randwick on Saturday showed she has come back as good as ever.

Learning to Fly only just missed in the G2 Light Fingers Stakes - image Steve Hart

Given a thorough preparation for her return to racing, Learning to Fly had three barrier trials under her belt, but an outside gate made her task a tricky one with Chad Schofield electing to go back and cross to the fence.

She let down with a big finish when angled into the clear and missed by a head in a tight finish to quality filly Kimochi.

"We had a good run in the race and I felt like she was the winner when she quickened," Schofield said.

"But obviously, after a year off, she needed that run but to get beaten by a small margin like that, it was a great sign going forward."

Co-owner Tom Magnier said Learning To Fly's comeback effort was outstanding: "I was delighted with that run," he said.

Advertisement

"For a filly that hasn't run for a year that was exciting. She will run a great race in the G1 Surround (Stakes) now."

Learning to Fly was a $900,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Kia Ora Stud from the Coolmore draft and runs for a partnership involving both Kia Ora and Coolmore.

Learning to Fly was foaled and raised at Coolmore and is the second foal and first winner from Fastnet Rock’s Group III winning daughter Ennis Hill, who was named by James Bester after British athlete Jessica Ennis Hill, winner of the gold medal in Heptathlon at the London Olympic Games.

Ennis Hill is a sister to Lake Geneva, who won the Listed MVRC William Crockett Stakes and placed in the Golden Slipper and Blue Diamond as well as Acrobat, who won the Inglis Nursery (RL) at his only start. Acrobat now stands at Coolmore with his first foals born last spring.

Coolmore sold a Pierro filly from Ennis Hill at Inglis Easter last year for $1.75million to Mick Wallace / Gandharvi and she has been named Pretty with Annabel Neasham to train. Now back in foal to Learning to Fly’s sire Justify, Ennis Hill has a yearling filly by I Am Invincible and had a filly foal last year by Snitzel.

Coolmore will offer another filly from this famous family at Inglis Easter this year presenting Lot 68, a Snitzel filly from Group II winner Hips Don’t Lie, the dam of Ennis Hill.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Thursday July 31
Here is the full list of 23 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Justify Filly wins $2million Inglis Millennium
Coolmore based Triple Crown winner Justify (USA) has a genuine superstar in his first crop of Australian two year-olds with the Annabel Neasham trained filly Learning to Fly scoring an outstanding win in the $2million Inglis Millennium (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday July 30
Here is the full list of 48 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Undefeated Learning to Fly Wins G2 Reisling
Talented Justify (USA) filly Learning to Fly was a short priced favourite to keep her unbeaten record intact in the $300,000 Group II ATC Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday, but the Annabel Neasham trained filly was made to work hard for it.
Glorious Goodwood Day 2 – Field of Gold is No Frankel
The second day of the Glorious Goodwood meeting was supposed to be the one where charismatic grey three year-old Field of Gold smashed his elders to win the Group I Sussex Stakes (1m), but that didn’t happen and instead we saw the longest priced G1 winner in British history.
Mark Ford Joins Widden Victoria as Stud Manager
Widden Stud is delighted to announce the appointment of Mark Ford as Stud Manager of its Victorian farm at Riddells Creek.
Best Of The Best Leads Home Written Tycoon One-Two
In one of the final 2YO races of the 2024/2025 season, nine-time Champion Victorian Sire Written Tycoon provided the quinella in the Vale Peta Tait 2YO Maiden Plate (1210m) at Sale with Best Of The Best leading home Bradford.
Best On Breeding
The remarkable rise of Justify (USA) enters another phase on Saturday with two chances to add a first Australian Group 1 winner to those garnered in Europe and America.
Justify's Learning To Fly Brilliant on Debut in Widden Stakes - Pierro Half-sister at Easter
Learning To Fly became the first Australian stakes-winner for Coolmore's Triple Crown winner Justify (USA) and put herself in the Golden Slipper picture with a courageous performance on debut in Saturday's Group III Widden Stakes (1100m).
Best Ever Season for Hellbent
With his oldest progeny turning six on Friday, Yarraman Park’s Hellbent is coming to the end of his best ever season with some 126 individual Australian winners collecting over $11.1million.