Canberra trainer Matthew Dale says the "best is yet to come" for Fell Swoop after his star sprinter franked his second to the world's best sprinter with his first group win.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Fell Swoop enjoyed the perfect ride under Jay Ford on Saturday to prove too good for Didntcostalot, winning the group 2 Victory Stakes (1200 metres) at Doomben by half a length, with Artlee third.
It takes the son of Not A Single Doubt's career earnings to more than $1 million in prizemoney.
With a group win under his belt, the next target is a group 1 and Dale confirmed the group 1 BTC Cup (1200m), the group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m) and the $1.5 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) was still the plan for the Brisbane campaign.
The Victory win came on the back of finishing second to Chautauqua, the No.1 sprinter in the world, in the $2.5 million TJ Smith (1200m) at Randwick four weeks ago.
Dale said there was still plenty of improvement in his stable star and the trip to Queensland was a big part in that development.
Fell Swoop's win fuels the comparisons with Queanbeyan superstar Takeover Target, especially given Ford was the jockey on the Joe Janiak-trained winner of eight group 1s.
Takeover Target finished fourth and second in the BTC Cup, as well as third and first in the Doomben 10,000.
"I don't see any comparison, our horse is an individual. He's a long, long way from being a seasoned horse," Dale said.
"It was only a bit over a year ago he won a Canberra maiden and he's still working everything out.
"I still think he's got a fair way to go, albeit he's run second to Chautauqua in the biggest sprint in Australia.
"I still think the best is yet to come from Fell Swoop when you see he's not seasoned yet, but this campaign will help him with that."
Dale praised Ford's ride, after the jockey was brought up to ride Fell Swoop following Damien Oliver's suspension.
Oliver will be back on board the four-year-old gelding for his next run.
"Jay had obviously performed in Brisbane, riding Takeover Target, and we had a good association with Jay," Dale said.
"He's very cool under pressure in those situations. I thought he rode him really well – I don't think anyone could've ridden him any better under the circumstances.
"I was rapt with the way Jay handled him today, and he didn't let the fact that he was a short-priced favourite ($1.55) get to him one bit.
"That's what makes Jay so good ... that he's calm under pressure."
Dale returned to Canberra on Saturday night for this week's Wagga Wagga carnival, where he'll be hoping Unanimously will win his third Wagga Town Plate (1200m).
But he will return to Queensland next weekend to oversee Fell Swoop's preparation for the BTC Cup.
He said the win was made even better after a tough 18-hour trip to the northern heat.
"It was great. There was a bit against the horse today. He had to travel up 18 hours throughout the week into the heat," Dale said.
"He'd just started to grow a winter coat back in Canberra, which just had him running a little hotter than usual ... it took a little bit more out of him than it usually does when he heads to say Melbourne."
