Classy mare Solicit has strolled in to claim the Group 3 The Vanity at Flemington today ahead of a spirited Critical Angel and Girl In Flight.
Solicit ran away to a thumping victory in the 2014 The Vanity
Breaking from the barriers near-perfectly, Solicit took up the early pace and opened a large gap along with Critical Angel rounding the bend before comfortably straightening and pulling clear of the O’reilly filly to finish three lengths in-front and five to strong finishing Girl In Flight in third.
Co-trainer Mathew Ellerton was confident the form Solicit had shown in preparations would deliver a good first-up result.
“She’s seasoned and made easy work of it today” Ellerton said after the race.
“I thought she’d lead; she’s pretty fresh. It took a quick one to lead her in the jump outs here last Friday and I couldn’t see her not leading.
While currently unsure which direction the Street Cry filly would take this preparation, Ellerton has not ruled out a step up in distance as a realistic option for Solicit following today’s remarkable win.
“We’ll be guided by her – she was a bit wishy washy in her coat today, I hope she goes home and cleans it up and I hope she goes home and does well” Ellerton added.
“She’s grown up a lot and that stands her in good stead for this campaign.
“She’s got it all before her and she’s exciting for us.”
Jockey Damian Lane missed a chance to ride Solicit in her Sportingbet Best Tote Plate (1200m) victory in September due to suspension, but was happy to get a second chance to partner the classy mare in the 2014 The Vanity.
“She’s a class filly” Lane said following the win.
“Last prep I was suspended and missed a chance to win on her at Moonee Valley, so it’s good to get off on a winning note and hopefully I can stick with her.
“She did it effortlessly; she bowled out in front easily and when I put a couple round her tail just to get her mind on the job she just really let go. She did it easily.”
Having returned to the track in peak condition, a busy Autumn campaign is well and truly on the cards for Solicit, with the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) a strong possibility.
2014 The Vanity Results
Finish No. Horse Trainer Jockey Margin Bar. Weight Starting Price
1 1 SOLICIT Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra Damian Lane - 1 54kg $2.90F
2 6 CRITICAL ANGEL (NZ) Peter G Moody Chad Schofield (a) 2.75L 2 54kg $51
3 5 GIRL IN FLIGHT Robbie Griffiths Ryan Maloney 6.25L 4 54kg $6.50
4 4 SCRATCHY BOTTOM Michael Kent Michael Rodd 7L 6 54kg $4.20
5 3 SENSIBILITY Peter G Moody Glen Boss 7.75L 7 54kg $5
6 7 SPIRIT OF HEAVEN (NZ) Peter G Moody Vlad Duric 8.5L 5 54kg $20
7 2 QUAYSIDE David Payne Brenton Avdulla 9.75L 3 54kg $18
8 9 REZONED (NZ) Robert Smerdon Craig Williams 18.75L 8 54kg $19
Read more: http://www.races.com.au/2014/02/15/solicit-strolls-home-in-comfortable-2014-the-vanity-victory/#ixzz2tO8CjnCM Races.com.au, home of the best horse racing bonus offers
