We don’t expect to see a pre-Christmas 2YO winner for the late So You Think, but we got one at Caulfield on Wednesday when talented filly Almost an Angel zoomed past her speedy rivals to score a dominant debut victory.
Trained by Robbie Griffiths and ridden by Luke Nolen, Almost an Angel had two barrier trials to get her ready for race day and won the most recent at Cranbourne earlier this month.
Ridden quietly early from an outside gate, she covered ground in the run and was wide around the turn but let down with an impressive change of gear at the 100m mark to drop her rivals cold.
She finished so fast she ended up winning by two lengths with ears pricked to the delight of her big team of owners.
“She was super. Luke gave her a lovely ride. He let her get into her rhythm and when she straightened up, she really hit the line strong and got the job done,” said stable representative Adrian Joyce.
“You never know with a first timer, but she showed us plenty of speed for So You Think, because as you know they can take a bit of time. S
“We were surprised how well she came on from the jump outs, so she was ready to go.
“She's not that big, but she has plenty of heart and she tries really hard in her gallops. Everything she does, she wants to do it, so it's a good sign for a filly.”
Almost an Angel was a $30,000 Magic Millions purchase for Griffiths Racing/Peter Ford Thoroughbreds from the Alma Vale Thoroughbreds draft and has gone close to recouping her purchase price on debut.
She is the first foal of All that Sass, a winning half-sister by Hinchinbrook to stakes-placed Morioka from Group III winner Koonoomoo.
North Bloodstock will offer the second foal of All That Sass, a filly by Farnan, as Lot 39 at Magic Millions 2026.
All That Sass has foaled again this spring producing a filly by Shinzo.
