Superstar filly Learning To Fly (Justify) firmed into a dominant Golden Slipper favourite with a remarkable win in the $2m Inglis Millennium at Randwick, while Lazzago (Capitalist) picked up the lucrative $400,000 Pink Bonus with her foruth placed finish.
Never better than four wide the entire trip, the Annabel Neasham-trained 2YO asserted herself as arguably the filly of her generation to this point, mowing down her rivals to win the feature with authority.
It was a second career win from as many starts for Learning To Fly, who debuted with a tough victory in the G3 Widden Stakes a fortnight ago.
The extraordinarily valuable filly – by Coolmore’s US Triple Crown winner Justify out of G3-winning juvenile Ennis Hill – is raced by some of the industry’s leading figures including Tom Magnier of Coolmore, Ananda Krishnan’s Kia Ora, Georg von Opel’s Westerberg International and Joe Poulin.
Offered by Coolmore at last year’s Easter Yearling Sale, Learning To Fly was purchased by Kia Ora for $900,000.
Today she defeated a pair of I Am Invincible fillies – Classic graduate Blanc De Blanc (Michael Freedman) and Easter filly Kundalini (Ciaron Maher and David Eustace).
Fourth home was the Chris Waller-trained and Woppitt Bloodstock-owned Lazzago, who won the $400,000 Inglis Pink Bonus for being the first Pink Bonus-eligible runner home.
But the primary glory today was for Learning To Fly, the filly who is shaping as the dominant juvenile of the season, all of which comes as no surprise to Magnier.
“To the staff’s credit back at the farm, they earmarked this filly from day one as the best of all of them and from what we’ve seen so far, she looks extremely special and possibly the filly of her time,’’ Magnier said.
“What Annabel has done with her is nothing short of extraordinary. She’s weaved her magic and turned this filly into the star she is today.
“She’s in the Slipper now, with some of this Inglis prizemoney counting toward qualification so we’ll set out a path now toward there and hopefully become the first Millennium winner to win the Slipper.’’
Kia Ora’s Shane Wright, like Magnier, was thrilled post-race, but not totally shocked.
“We knew she was an exceptional filly so while you never expect to see that, it’s always a delight to sit back and watch a win like that with a very, very special filly,’’ Wright said.
“When we drew barrier 19 I think everybody was a bit flat but once we looked at things and decided to run, we knew we’d need a great ride by Chad [Schofield] and while he was obviously wide, he always had cover and just let the filly come into the race.
“At the top of the straight, she was still a way off them but I always thought deep down she was good enough to round them up and it’s amazing to see her do it.’’
In winning the Millennium, Learning To Fly earned her connections a new Ferrari, as part of a Coolmore promotion at last year’s yearling sales for the first progeny of Justify to win a major race.
“The keys are in my pocket at the moment but we’ll work out the next few days who gets the car!’’ Wright said.
There are nine progeny of Justify at the 2023 Classic Yearling Sale, which begins at Riverside at 10am tomorrow.
To view the catalogue CLICK HERE.
The other ‘race within a race’ in the Millennium was for the Pink Bonus, which went to Debbie and Paul Kepitis of Woppitt Bloodstock and their daughters Lara, Talia and Alinta.
They picked up a $400,000 Pink Bonus cheque – on top of the $88,000 for finishing fourth.
“What a thrill,’’ Kepitis said.
“The Inglis Pink Bonus is such a wonderful incentive, this is far and away the best fourth I’ve ever come!’’
To view a video of today’s Millennium Day highlights, CLICK HERE.
