Lindsay Park and the connections of Sneaky Sunrise have some thinking to do after the filly broke through for her maiden success at Flemington.
Sneaky Sunrise took out the Sir Eugene Gorman Handicap (1400m) on Saturday for the Ben, Will and JD Hayes training partnership, making amends for a luckless display at Flemington in the Listed Anzac Day Stakes (1400m) at her previous outing.
Ridden by Daniel Stackhouse, Sneaky Sunrise ($4.60) scored a widening 1-1/2 length victory over Narbold ($4.80), with the $4.20 favourite Snack Bar the same margin away in third.
Sneaky Sunrise kicks of Andrew Ramsden Race Day with an impressive victory in the Sir Eugene Gorman Handicap.
— Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) May 18, 2024
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JD Hayes said there was options for the filly which potentially included a trip to Brisbane for the Winter Carnival or remain in Melbourne for a lesser black-type race as winter progresses.
"A little bit of Black Type would be handy," Hayes said.
"She could get that in the Taj Rossi (in July) if we stayed here, but there's the BRC Sires' Produce (at Eagle Farm on June 1) and the JJ Atkins (on June 15) in Brisbane worth thinking about.
"It's a good result with a filly that we didn't expect to be getting results with her now with her pedigree, so it's a good future for her.
"It's a good problem to have, whether to stay here or go up to Queensland, or put her away and get her ready for the spring."
Hayes said Sneaky Sunrise, a filly by The Autumn Sun from So You Think mare Schifty Thinker was still developing and furnishing, and he expects the two-year-old to stretch out further than Saturday's trip.
He also praised Stackhouse's ride after putting the filly just behind the speed after being back in the field at her most recent outing.
"It went perfectly to plan. It was a brilliant ride by Daniel Stackhouse," Hayes said.
"We're very pleased with that victory as she had good authority towards the end of that race.
"We were hoping to get an autumn two-year-old, but we were really pleased with that, it showed a bit of quality."