Joe Pride has had some very nice three year-old fillies running for the stable this season in The Black Cloud and In Flight and believes Toronado (IRE) filly Ragga Ragga is right there with them.
Resuming from a spell at Warwick Farm on Wednesday in the 1100m maiden after two previous unplaced runs, Ragga Ragga had looked good in recent trials and with the scratching at the barrier of heavily backed Toronado (IRE) colt Theblade, she found conditions to suit.
Ragga Ragga pressed forward to lead for Jason Collett and kept up a good gallop to the line to win by a length and a half.
A $145,000 Inglis Premier purchase from the Collingrove Stud draft for David O’Keeffe’s Lockyer Thoroughbreds, Ragga Ragga has the pedigree and talent to suggest more wins are in store.
“It was now or never for her today,” said Joe Pride.
“She’s got plenty of ability and we have some nice three year-old fillies in the stable in The Black Cloud and In Flight and I thought she was probably as good as them, but we’ll see…time will tell.”
Ragga Ragga is the third winner from Seagrove, a winning sibling by Exceed and Excel to stakes-placed San Diego and Soledad from the family of Group I winner Hill of Grace.
Swettenham Stud’s Toronado has had his usual good season with 144 Australian winners of over $10.7million and they included his imported Group I winner Bois d’Argent (GB). While in Hong Kong he posted Australian bred Group I winner Victor the Winner and outstanding four year-old Helios Express, winner of rhe HK Classic Mile and Classic Cup.
