Sessions filly Fancy Red had shown black-type potential when going back-to-back at Northam and Pinjarra over 1400m before completing a hat-trick on Saturday with an outstanding last-to-first victory in the LR Belmont Oaks (2019m).
Racing beyond a mile for the first time, the Oakland Park homebred went out a $2.40 favourite and skirted the outside rail on a Heavy 9 at Bunbury to score by more than two lengths from Kimberley Rose (Hellbent) and Lillian (War Decree).
Fancy Red (Photo / Western Racepix) is the fifth Belmont Oaks winner for trainer Adam Durrant and the seventh for jockey Willie Pike. They had combined with Oakland Park owners Neville and Susan Duncan to win the 2023 classic with Sessions filly Ihts Closing Inn.
“She keeps raising the bar but when they said she would be heading this way I thought they were mad,” Pike said referring to the testing step up in distance. “She jumps quick and has got some speed so it was probably a blessing in disguise when she missed the kick today.
“We avoided some of the scrimmaging but the key part came at the 600m. I cut inside a few and she just picked up and took me into the race. She started zipping through them and I knew we were a good chance from there.”
Fancy Red could now get out even further in the LR Belmont Classic (2200m) on July 26. She’s bred to get a trip being a half-sister to Diamond Made (Duke Of Marmalade) who won the G3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) at Randwick in 2016.
Oakland Park had purchased their dam Showme Thediamonds for just $5,000 through Belmont Bloodstock (as agent) at the 2019 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast. The mare was moved on after Fancy Red arrived and her latest foal is a Rommel filly with Tameeka Brown.
Fancy Red is the 7th individual black-type winner by Sessions and his second in consecutive weeks following Repossession in the LR Beaufine Stakes (1000m) at Pinjarra last Saturday.
“Sessions is doing a great job” Neville Duncan told ANZ News. “He had Sail Session win twice in Stakes company over 1800m and 2200m before finishing third in this year’s (G2) WATC Derby (2400m). So, with the right mare, he can get a horse that gets a middle distance.
“He’s in the Top 10 Apex A Horses in Australia. The Apex A indices is something I put a lot of credit in, and he is ahead of some of the big guns. His winners to runners is fantastic, and his average earnings per horse is really good.
“He doesn’t seem to get many two year-olds or early three year-olds. So he’s dragged down a bit by those horses, but his first crop has 90 per cent winners to runners and his second crop is close to that as well.
“So as they get further into their life, the chances of getting a winner is almost certainly more than 80 per cent. In general, he does seem to have horses that can be persistent in their campaign. Our breaker says they’re so easy to deal with, everything’s a cruise for them. That’s very helpful because they just cool their jets and then go out and race.”
Sessions (Lonhro) signed off Bunbury’s black-type card with Fancy Red’s stablemate Supernatural in the Nixon Electrical Hcp (1400m). The Adam Durrant-trained 3yo filly also started favourite under Willie Pike and they emerged from traffic to win by two lengths from Regal Statue (Nicconi).
Sessions stands for $9,900 at Oakland Park alongside Ingratiating ($9,900) and Shooting To Win ($6,600). Service fees (inc GST). For bookings or further information contact Neville Duncan (0417 200 097) or Adrian Brown (0438 944 299).
