The addition of blinkers combined with a swift turnaround has delivered a substantial reward for Salty Pearl’s team at Caulfield.
The Ciaron Maher team showed no hesitation in running the filly back in the $500,000 VOBIS Platinum Guineas (1600m) on Saturday, following her effort where she finished behind the talented Sass Appeal in a Stakes event at Flemington the previous week.
With a history of successfully repeating the filly within eight days, the Maher outfit once more executed the strategy effectively, achieving a strong outcome.
Dispatched as the $2.05 market elect ridden by John Allen, Salty Pearl secured a victory by 2-¾ lengths over Silvasista ($41), while Wetumpka ($61) was another 1-½ lengths adrift in third position.
Jack Turnbull, National Assistant Trainer for the Maher stable, noted that applying blinkers for the second occasion allowed Salty Pearl to journey comfortably over the entire 1600m journey.
“She was always in control,” Turnbull said.
“The blinkers made her travel and she took John everywhere and when he asked her to poke into a hole at about the 450 (metres), she was there straight away.
That’s when you knew she was going to be there for a long way and in the straight they spanned wide and they were coming from everywhere, but her class shone through.
It’s the second time we’ve backed her up for a second victory.
We had to go back from the draw last start, and we thought her run was huge, but we were beaten by a classy filly.
She’s very consistent and building a fantastic record.”
Turnbull mentioned the team is mindful of the extent of racing Salty Pearl has undertaken so far in her three-year-old campaign.
This Saturday marked her 12th appearance for a third success, and the stable might venture to other states based on her recovery.
However, Turnbull indicated she probably won’t race over distances longer than 1600m.
“You could have the Queen Of The Turf Stakes which would be the top of the tree otherwise if she was in the right frame of mind and physically OK, you could possibly look at a Carbine Club Stakes as well,” Turnbull said.
“We’re conscious of where we want to get to and what she has done, but it’s good options to have.
I think that’s her trip. Again, you could float the idea and try (a longer trip), but she’s very effective at this distance and I don’t think we need to change.”
Keen punters can find excellent value in the racing betting markets for future outings like the VOBIS Platinum Guineas style events.
