Valuable Black Type for Tavistock Mare

Karaka-sourced She’s Alight (NZ) (Tavistock) added valuable black type to her quality pedigree page with a determined win in Saturday’s A$100,000 Listed Ascend Sales Jungle Dawn Classic (1400m) at Ascot. 

Bought for $65,000 from the 2017 Premier Sale, the daughter of Tavistock has now won seven of her 19 starts and earned A$194,270. She is out of a three-quarter-sister to Group One winner and sire Danske (NZ) (Danehill), and she descends from the exceptional Our Tristalight (NZ) (Sir Tristram).

Ridden by Patrick Carbery on Saturday for trainer Alan Mathews, She’s Alight pursued the front-running Sophie’s Song (Rogano) before cruising past her at the top of the home straight. Challengers lined up on both sides of her and gave their all trying to run her down, but She’s Alight kept finding and maintained her advantage in a tight battle to the finish. She won by a half-head.

“She jumped quickly and I just lobbed outside the leader, and then she settled really well,” Carbery said. “I knew I had the leader covered in the straight. She was just floating a bit, waiting for the others, but she dug in and kept sticking her head out when it counted.”

For Mathews, Saturday’s win was a long-term plan that came to fruition.

“We set her for this race after her winter campaign,” he said. “The owners have been great, just letting me race her to get her fit. When she came here last start, it absolutely poured. She was the only horse to make ground, and her sectionals were great. It’s just nice to get it right today.

“She’s a tenacious little mare. She’s tough and gives her all. It’s great that she was able to do the job today.”