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Abbey Marie became a Group 1 winner at just her third start in the 2016 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville, returning a Timeform rating of 108p in the process.
Abbey Marie went to Morphettville unbeaten in two runs and undoubtedly promising, her Timeform rating of 90p well short of what was to be required to win the Australasian Oaks but open to rapid improvement - improvement the market was well aware of, sending her out a 6-1 second favourite for the race.
Race favourite Silent Sedition had a Timeform rating of 102 going into the race, courtesy of her win the main local lead-up the Auraria Stakes two weeks prior, but despite raising her performance to 107 in her Grand Final she couldn't repel Abbey Marie who arrived with her ratings profile on a sharper incline.
A Timeform rating of 108p for the winner could be considered par for the Australasian Oaks. May's Dream ran to the same mark winning the race in 2014 - with five winners rated higher this century, namely; Delicacy (110P), Lights Of Heaven (115), Gallica (112), Anamato (111) and Zarita (110).
The stable indicated that Abbey Marie would be put away and targeted at the Myer Classic and she will need to continue her upward spiral if she is going to add that to her C.V. In the last 10 years just four have run in the Australasian Oaks and trained on to win a Group 1 in the following season, and none of them were winners at Morphettville. Devil Moon (2007 Turnbull Stakes), Just Momente (2007 Robert Sangster Stakes), Aloha (2011 Coolmore Classic), Southern Speed (2011 Caulfield Cup).
The Group 1 Robert Sangster Classic followed the Australasian Oaks on Saturday with in-form mares Precious Gem and Sheidel fighting out the tightest of finishes.
The race was marred by a fall which saw Luke Nolen, successful aboard Abbey Marie the race prior, come off Miss Promiscuity rounding the corner in what looked a nasty incident. Nolen had been in a rich vein of form since returning from injury and, while lucky that his injuries from the weekend are minor (relative to what could have been first feared), it is a shame that he will again be on the sidelines for a period of time.
Precious Gem had to launch late to peg back Sheidel and both mares were awarded Timeform ratings of 111 for their efforts.
Precious Gem has gone to a new level this campaign having been a useful 104-rated miler in a previous life. Kept to sprinting in her first full campaign for Henry Dwyer she has returned ratings of 106, 107 and now 111.
A crack at the Goodwood beckons, as it does for other Morphettville winners from Saturday, Super One who ran to 109 winning the Group 3 McKay Stakes and Faatinah who ran to 107 in the Group 2 Euclase Stakes.
Sooboog and Demonstrate filled the placings behind Faatinah and while both have struggled to convert talent into winning form both returned eye-catching performances worth more than the bare result.
The Goodwood picture was also being shaped in Melbourne on Saturday with Supido rounding off his preparation for the Group 1 contest with a win over fellow Goodwood aspirant Admiral.
Supido didn't produce his best piece of form to get the verdict, 110-rated Admiral winning the race at the weights, but his closing speed to win over 1000m (a trip that looks sure to prove short of his optimum) pointed to him being right on track for the Goodwood where a rating in the mid to high teens doesn't look out of the question.