A $600,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Sheamus Mills Bloodstock from the Lime Country Thoroughbreds draft, lightly raced Written Tycoon filly Gumdrops took the quantum leap from maiden winner to stakes-winner scoring a narrow victory in the Listed MVRC William Crockett Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr, Gumdrops was having just her third race start and under a beautiful ride from Damian Lane hit the frontin the straight and then had just enough left to hold off a late dive from Saltaire to win by a head.
Mick Price was thrilled to get the win and believes there are more in store for the talented filly.
“From Ballarat to here she has definitely improved and she;s physically very well so hopefully she improves again,” he said.
“We’ll just keep her ticking, but I think the Red Roses down the straight at Flemington will be a nice little race for her and I reckon she is on the way up!”
Gumdrops runs for Sheamus Mills Bloodstock Ladies Syndicate and partners and has won over $114,000 in prizemoney in her first three starts.
She was bred by Ravenswood Bloodstock’s Phillip Pollicina, who was the subject of a recent Breednet story about his Fastnet Rock stallion Fastnet Express, which you can read here.
Gumdrops is the first and only foal of Group III winning Not a Single Doubt mare Sugar Bella, who died prematurely in 2021. Sugar Bella was a half-sister to stakes-winner Willy Jimmy from Group III winner Hula Wonder.
Gumdrops is the 54th stakes-winner for Yulong based champion sire Written Tycoon, who has delivered success for Sheamus Mills Bloodstock in the past siring their Group I MRC Thousand Guineas winner Odeum.
