Trainer Gary Portelli has been thrilled with the form and class displayed by rising three-year-old Seeking Asylum through her short but impressive career so-far and is confident the filly is capable of progressing into a legitimate Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) through the 2015 Spring Carnival.
Seeking Asylum may target the 2015 Wakeful Stakes during the Spring Carnival. Photo: Steve Hart
Seeking Asylum has more than stamped her claims as one to watch since first debuting competitively for Portelli in June but undoubtedly produced her most impressive to date at Canterbury over the weekend; overcoming a luckless run to take out the TAB Place Multi (1550m) by a head.
Portelli returned from a trip abroad to witness the Sebring filly’s two most recent starts and believes she exhibits the signs she will continue to perform at increasing distances; opening to consideration races like the 2015 Wakeful Stakes.
“There’s not many times you would give them five runs (in a maiden preparation),” Portelli told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“It just goes to show how tough she is. Another thing I haven’t done is start too many two-year-olds against older horses.
“I came home from Italy last Friday and then watched her race on Saturday (1st in the Club Central Handicap – 1300m) and declared to the owners more than likely we’ll spell her. My foreman made the statement ‘I wouldn’t think that yet as she’s tough this filly and she’ll bounce back’.
“She never left an oat and she’s been doing everything right since. Always give it a few extra days before you make a decision.
“I think she’ll get up to 2000 metres this filly. I don’t know if she’s an Oaks horse but I think she might be a horse that could go to the Wakeful at the end of the spring.”
Seeking Asylum debuted to racing for an impressive win in the Posh Designs Maiden (1308m) on June 9th; progressing to second in Newcastle minor over 1300m on June 20th before taking out each of her next three starts, including Saturday’s Canterbury race.
Particularly well-bred, Seeking Asylum is by Australian Golden Slipper Sebring, out of South African Group 1 Golden Slipper winner Asylum Seeker.
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