Carrying the famed Ingham cerise as does her close relation Fangirl, exciting Churchill (IRE) filly Cigar Flick made a winning return from a spell when beating the colts to win at Randwick on Saturday over 1100m.
Trained by Chris Waller, Cigar Flick was last seen finishing third to Learning to Fly in the Group II ATC Reisling Stakes and was tuned up with two recent trials, so was fit and ready to fire.
She travelled behind the leader on the fence for Jason Collett in the small field of four and was able to slide through on the inside to score a half length win, her second from five starts with prizemoney just shy of $180,000.
"We were a bit nervous. When you get a field of four they often become a tactical affair and that's exactly what happened," said assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said.
''But she was very good. She was game to take a narrow margin up the fence and when she let down she let down strongly.
"Realistically, off the races she was running in during the autumn carnival, she didn't really need to improve much to win today.
"She's in for a good campaign this time in and hopefully we can aim up for some bigger and better things."
The Princess Series is an obvious target for Cigar Flick with the Group II ATC Silver Shadow Stakes(1200m) at Randwick on August 19 the first leg of the series.
A homebred for the Ingham family, Cigar Flick was foaled, raised and educated at Coolmore and is the first foal of Palmateer, a metro winning half-sister by Fastnet Rock to $3million earning Group I winner Fangirl from stakes-winner Little Surfer Girl.
I know nothing about surfing, but apparently Palmateer is named for Australian surfer Felicity (Flick) Palmateer, so this filly is well named.
Her third dam is triple Group I winner Special Harmony, who won the VRC Oaks, Thousand Guineas and Arrowfield Stud Stakes among her 10 wins, so Cigar Flick is from a family of outstanding fillies.
Palmateer had a filly by Flying Artie last year and was then covered by Street Boss (USA).
Cigar Flick looks to be a potential stakes-winner for her sire Churchill next season and the champion son of Galileo is slated to return to Coolmore at a fee of $22,000.
