A canny purchase by leading Melbourne owner and breeder Robert Crabtree of high class West Australian sprinter Sheidel has begun to pay dividends after the mare won Saturday's $120,000 Bel Esprit Stakes at Caulfield.
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Crabtree negotiated the purchase of Sheidel from Western Australia with the mare now primed to take another significant step in building her breeding profile when she starts in the group one Sangster Stakes at Morphettville in South Australia next month.
"Robert's now in the winners stall with her and we'll make our way to South Australia with her next," trainer Tom Dabernig said moments after the success.
Sheidel, who notched her 12th success from just 18 starts at Caulfield on Saturday, will be well placed in the Sangster, according to Dabernig.
"She's impressed us from the time she's been here," Dabernig said. "She's had two runs with us and we just made some small gear changes that look like they've helped.
"She's a very nice mare and I think she could be really competitive in the Sangster," he said.
Jockey Damien Oliver put up a superb riding performance to have Sheidel travelling well within herself and not over racing which can be a tendency with the mare.
"The horse jumped out running today, but I just held on to her for that little bit and that made all the difference in her finishing run."
"She's a very genuine mare with a lot of natural ability," Oliver said.
Runner-up Girl Guide, ironically, was formerly trained by the training partnership of Hayes and Dabernig before being transferred to the Ciaron Maher stable at Caulfield.
Sheidel had strong support through the corporate bookmakers during the week with as much as $4.90 being bet about the mare with her eventually starting a $4 and defeating Girl Guide ($21) with Under The Louvre at ($6.50) third.
Under The Louvre lost no admirers for the stable's plans to win this year's group 1 Goodwood Handicap in Adelaide.
Having to lug 60 kilograms, Under The Louvre finished powerfully out wide and will indeed be fitter for that performance.
In other news Former English stayer Raw Impulse showed that his eye-catching win at Moonee Valley when making his Australian debut was no fluke after he again impressively took out the Turf Club Handicap at Caulfield.
Raw Impulse, who gave the all-conquering Darren Weir stable its 80th win for the season, won as he liked and in doing so gave the stable another future top line galloper.
However, the dilemma for the Weir stable now is where to go with the import as there are a number of options beckoning for the four-year-old stallion.
A stable spokesman said that the trainer would look at all options over the next two weeks on what plans to make.
Raw Impulse could head to Queensland for the rich winter carnival or to the Warrnambool Cup in a fortnight's time or be spelled until the spring carnival.
"He's a very nice horse and I know now why Hugh Bowman spoke so glowingly at Moonee Valley," jockey Brad Rawiller said.
"He's a lovely horse but I must say they started to run along a bit down the side and I was six or seven lengths away from the leader, but I stuck to my plan and came to the outside and he quickly gathered them in.
"He gave me the feel of being a very good horse."
Raw Impulse started at $1.65 and defeated another imported stayer Bantry Bay at $13 while Kapset finished third at $15.
Bantry Bay was an excellent performance as he took up the lead on the point of the home turn and was still fighting hard despite being collared with 100 metres to go.
Fifth over the line Houdini The Great protested against Orient Line who was fourth home for alleged interference over the final 250 metres with stewards upholding the objection and reversing the placings.
