Ciaron Maher and David Eustace continued their early domination of juvenile events in Australia when filly Sneaky Five became their third two-year-old winner for the season by taking out the Inglis Banner.
Sneaky Five’s victory in the $500,000 race at Moonee Valley followed the stable’s success with Enthaar in the Gimcrack Stakes at Randwick and Fake Love in the Debutant Stakes at Caulfield.
Maher gave credit for the win to the horse’s owner, Rosemont Stud’s Anthony Mithen, who suggested he run Sneaky Five in the 1000 metre race instead of giving her another jump out.
“She was the most inexperienced of all of ours and to give ‘Mitho’ some credit, we had a conversation after she’d trialled very well the first time,” Maher said.
“Mitho said ‘what about going to the races with her’ and I said I’d take her to The Valley for a gallop and she was very impressive and progressed the right way, so we rolled the dice.
“What a nice second jump out for $500,000.”
Maher purchased the daughter of Fastnet Rock for $305,000 at the Melbourne Inglis Premier Sale and sold her to Mithen and also Nigel Austin from Rosemont Stud.
Sneaky Five ($5.50 equal fav) defeated stablemate The Art Of Flying ($15) by 1-1/4 lengths with Tempest Charm ($8.50) a neck away third.
