John Sargent might be renowned for his success with classic fillies, but he also has a deft touch when he gets the right two-year-old.
That was the case a few seasons ago when he captured the 2021 Sweet Embrace Stakes with Four Moves Ahead, who went on to finish fourth in that year's Golden Slipper and ATC Sires' Produce Stakes.
On Saturday at Randwick, Sargent will start debutante Tokyo Lady in the $500,000 Inglis Nursery (1000m), hopeful he might again have another smart juvenile on his books.
A recent barrier trial winner at Warwick Farm, Sargent has been happy with Tokyo Lady's progress, but stopped short of declaring her in the same mould as Four Moves Ahead.
"Not yet, but hopefully she will be," Sargent said.
"She's a Tassort filly, she won a trial nicely at Warwick Farm last week.
"She is a natural two-year-old. She's not very big, but we'll run her and she should do well."
Restricted to Inglis Sales graduates, the race has attracted a final field of 15 with Tokyo Lady, a $50,000 Classic Sale purchase, one of three runners by Newgate stallion Tassort, who has already produced Gimcrack Stakes winner Manaal.
Sacred Fort, runner-up at Newcastle on debut, and first starter Cashaway Gold are also by the first season sire.
Only five of the Inglis Nursery runners have race experience including Victorian-trained colts Blue Stratum and Odinson, who were second and third respectively in the Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.
Tokyo Lady is a Tricolours Racing syndication, as are two of Sargent's other Randwick runners, Midway Handicap (1200m) hopeful Ningaloo Star and Toesonthenose, who backs up in the Max Brenner Santa Cup (2000m) after winning at Rosehill last weekend.
Sargent's team is rounded out by Perfect Thought in the Racing And Sports Razor Sharp Handicap (1200m), the Queensland Guineas runner-up starting afresh after failing to come up in two early-spring runs.
FP | Silk | Horse, Age & Sex Sire & Dam |
Jockey Trainer |
SP
WT |
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1st |
3. ODINSON (AUS) 2yo C NIGHT OF THUNDER (IRE) - GOOD VIBES (GB) |
TYLER SCHILLER CIARON MAHER & DAVID EUSTACE |
$5
56kg |
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J A O'Neill, A Kheir, M T Gleeson, A K Racing (Mgr: Ms K L Solomon), Mrs M F Anderson, J Pearce, G J P Van Ameyden, L Caminiti, P A Cook, D Edmonds, B J O'Brien, B D Nettlefold, Bear Tenors (Mgr: L Watson), M Pearce, S Priestley, Mrs J Priestley, R R Chapman & Ciaron Maher Racing (Mgr: C Maher) | |||||||||||
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2nd |
1. BEER BARON (AUS) 2yo C COSMIC FORCE (AUS) - ICE COLD CROWNIE (AUS) |
TOMMY BERRY NEIL OSBORNE |
$51
56kg |
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N Osborne, Mrs D Y Osborne, S A Osborne & P A Osborne | |||||||||||
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3rd |
11. NYMPHADORA (AUS) 2yo F YES YES YES (AUS) - MISS HUFFLEPUFF (AUS) |
TOM SHERRY STEPHEN O'HALLORAN |
$101
54kg |
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S O'Halloran, S O'Halloran, Mrs A Harron, Miss L A Lebedeff, Ms A Wood, Ms J Horrocks, Mrs K A Smallwood, One Hoof on the Till (Mgr: M Ghattas), Mrs T L Mcleod & L Callen | |||||||||||
|
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4th |
2. BLUE STRATUM (AUS) 2yo C BLUE POINT (IRE) - TAWTEEN (AUS) |
CHAD SCHOFIELD T & C MCEVOY |
$3.5
56kg |
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|
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5th |
4. SACRED FORT (AUS) 2yo C TASSORT (AUS) - TANITA (AUS) |
JASON COLLETT CIARON MAHER & DAVID EUSTACE |
$21
56kg |
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6th |
15. VALABING (AUS) 2yo F NATIONAL DEFENSE (GB) - DESERT LASHES (AUS) |
KERRIN MCEVOY DAVID PAYNE |
$61
54kg |
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7th |
6. DEEP JOY (AUS) 2yo F DEEP FIELD (AUS) - FIND JOY (USA) |
DYLAN GIBBONS CIARON MAHER & DAVID EUSTACE |
$5
54kg |
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|
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8th |
13. SPIRIT IN THE DARK (AUS) 2yo F SPIRIT OF BOOM (AUS) - FLASH IN THE DARK (AUS) |
REECE JONES KEITH DRYDEN |
$151
54kg |
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9th |
10. JUPITER HILLS (AUS) 2yo F EXCEEDANCE (AUS) - MISS GUNPOWDER (AUS) |
TIM CLARK G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT |
$4.5
54kg |
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|
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10th |
8. GROOVE CITY (AUS) 2yo F CAPITALIST (AUS) - TERRIFYING (AUS) |
JETT STANLEY M, W & J HAWKES |
$51
54kg |
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|
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11th |
14. TOKYO LADY (AUS) 2yo F TASSORT (AUS) - LITTLE GEISHA (NZ) |
ZAC LLOYD J G SARGENT |
$9
54kg |
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12th |
5. CASHAWAY GOLD (AUS) 2yo F TASSORT (AUS) - MY GOLD GAMBLE (AUS) |
RACHEL KING GARY PORTELLI |
$21
54kg |
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13th |
7. DESIROUS (AUS) 2yo F CAPITALIST (AUS) - AGUEDA (AUS) |
ANDREW ADKINS R & W FREEDMAN |
$21
54kg |
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