Kiwi Raider Alabama Lass Wins Listed World Pool Classic Sprint

Media Release - Saturday March 29

Yulong based Alabama Express was expected to have G1 success on Saturday with his glamour filly Treasurethe Moment in the Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill, but with that meeting postponed due to the weather it was left to Alabama Lass to fly the flag.

Alabama Lass wins at Flemington - image Grant Courtney   

Matamata trainers Ken and Bev Kelso have once again come up trumps at Flemington with quality sprinting filly Alabama Lass successful in Saturday’s A$500,000 Listed HKJC World Pool Sprint Classic (1100m).

Two years after landing the Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at the premier Melbourne track with stablemate Legarto, the astute Kiwi conditioners again plotted a successful hit-and-run with another quality three-year-old.

Ridden by Craig Williams, Alabama Lass showed her customary early speed to lead throughout down the Flemington straight and when challenged dug in to hold off the challenge of Gallant Son and Rich Dottie.

“Full credit to her trainers Bev, who can’t come over today, and Ken Kelso, they do such a great job with these horses,” Williams said.

“She’s really shown how good she is over there (New Zealand) beating one of their best older horses (Crocetti) in the King’s Plate (Gr.3, 1200m), and she’s only a three-year-old filly and I was really fortunate and delighted to get the call up and ride her.”

Williams said the roar of the crowd spurred on the well-supported favourite in the concluding stages.

“It might have been what inspired her too because she went from not spending any energy, I thought, ‘this is perfect, she’ll just pick up’, but she just seemed to be so lost and she wanted competition, she wanted energy from the crowd and that’s obviously what go her over the line in the end,” he said.

Alabama Lass was not for turning, she stared down Gallant Son and kept going - image Grant Courtney

Trainer Ken Kelso was delighted to see the filly win in uncomplicated fashion.

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“I thought she was stunning. She’s just a very fast filly. She just puts herself there and keeps going, she’s pretty special,” Kelso said.

“She tries really hard and she relaxes early in her races. She’s really fast but she just drops the bit and just lobs along so she doesn’t exert a lot of energy.”

The daughter of Alabama Express will now return to New Zealand to spell before a possible return to Melbourne for sprint targets in the spring.

“We’ll get her home and she deserves a little spell, she’s been up for a while,” Kelso said. “There could be some nice sprint races here (Victoria) in the spring, but we’ll take a breath and just get her home.”

Kelso was keen to acknowledge wife Bev, who couldn’t make the trip across the Tasman but is an integral part of the training partnership.  

“It’s a shame Bev can’t make it now, she’d love to have been here like she was Australian Guineas. It’s just a shame she can’t make trips now but I’m sure she gave that couch a bit of a hiding,” Kelso said.

Alabama Lass and her happy connections - image Grant Courtney

Kelso paid A$120,000 to buy Alabama Lass from the Inglis Premier Sale in Melbourne in March of 2023, having celebrated Legarto’s Group One triumph a day prior. She is a half-sister to Kiwi Group Three performer Bad 'n' Bouj and is the best of six winners from six to race from Commands mare Tabliope. She was bred by Rifa Mustang and offered in the draft of Shadow Hill Thoroughbreds.

A Group Two winner in her homeland and multiple Group One placed, Alabama Lass is now the winner of six of her nine starts, having finished runner-up on the other three occasions and advanced her career earnings to A$867,360. – NZ Racing Desk

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Race Result - HKJC World Pool Sprint Classic LR 1100m

Flemington Track: Good(4) Time: 1:03.57
1
Alabama Lass
- 3f Alabama Express (AUS) x Tabliope (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: K & B Kelso Rdr: Craig Williams 57
2
0.5
Gallant Son
- 3c Written Tycoon (AUS) x Plucky Belle (AUS) (Mossman (AUS))
Tnr: P G Moody & Katherine Coleman Rdr: Zac Spain 57
3
0.9
Rich Dottie
- 3f Written Tycoon (AUS) x Dorothy Of Oz (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: G M Begg Rdr: Jordan Childs 55
4
1.7
Jasmin Rouge
- 3f Dundeel (NZ) x Sweetener (AUS) (Snitzel (AUS))
Tnr: C W McDonald Rdr: B Melham 56.5
5
1.7
Winnasedge
- 3g Cliff's Edge (AUS) x Anuddawinna (AUS) (Magnus (AUS))
Tnr: Nick Ryan Rdr: L Currie 58
6
2.2
Sweethearted
- 3g Brave Smash (JPN) x Candy Floss (NZ) (Jimmy Choux (NZ))
Tnr: P Stokes Rdr: D W Stackhouse 58
7
2.3
Amelita
- 3f Zousain (AUS) x Miss Amelia (AUS) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: Jye McNeil 56.5
8
2.7
Gatsby's
- 3c Snitzel (AUS) x Miss Charming (USA) (Forestry (USA))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: B Shinn 58
9
3
Bridal Waltz
- 3f Snitzel (AUS) x Charleston Dancer (AUS) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: P G Moody & Katherine Coleman Rdr: Ms L J Meech 55
10
3.7
Daggers
- 3c I Am Invincible (AUS) x Omei Sword (AUS) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: T Busuttin & N Young Rdr: Ethan Brown 57
11
3.8
Band Of Brothers
- 3g Omaha Beach (USA) x Medgrinda (AUS) (Medaglia D'oro (USA))
Tnr: Dominic Sutton Rdr: W Egan 58.5
12
4.2
First Settler
- 3c Written Tycoon (AUS) x Graciousness (AUS) (Street Cry (IRE))
Tnr: M Price & M Kent Jnr Rdr: M J Dee 59
13
4.5
Vestas
- 3f Toronado (IRE) x Ready Set Sail (AUS) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: C W McDonald Rdr: Jamie Melham 55
14
4.9
Grinzinger Pod
- 3f Calyx (GB) x Rockthenightaway (AUS) (Shooting To Win (AUS))
Tnr: Ben Brisbourne Rdr: Lachlan King 55
15
5.9
Garnacho
- 3g Ace High (AUS) x Aplomb (NZ) (One Cool Cat (USA))
Tnr: E & D Browne Rdr: John Allen 57
16
5.9
Hot Digity Boom
- 3g Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Queen Of The Falls (AUS) (General Nediym (AUS))
Tnr: M Price & M Kent Jnr Rdr: M Zahra 57
17
7.9
Recon
- 3c Cosmic Force (AUS) x Orvassa (AUS) (Equiano (FR))
Tnr: Craig Weeding Rdr: J Duffy 57
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