Winner: Dinner Date (Mossman-Quaglino)
Race: MRC Merson Cooper Stakes LR (1000m)
Passed for: $34,000
Sale: 2010 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Baramul Stud
Reserve: $35,000
Earnings: $69,000
Owner(s): Mr G Harvey
Trainer: David Hayes (Flemington)
Dinner Date will be sent to the paddock for a break after she scored a strong win in today’s listed $100,000 Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) at Sandown.
Trainer David Hayes said the Mossman filly would be given a break and return for the lead up races to the Blue Diamond Stakes in the new year.
The filly went into the race as one of the leading chances following her only previous run – when third to Spectrolite in listed grade at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.
A graduate of January’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Dinner Date continues a good weekend for Hayes – who last night trained three winners at Moonee Valley.
At the post Dinner Date ($5-$5.50-$5 fav) held out her rivals to win by three parts of a length.
Metonymy ($4.80-$6.50), a $40,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase, snatched second place in a great result for her freshman sire, Hotel Grand.
Dane Shadow youngster Danish Shadow ($8-$14) was another half head back in third place – three quarters of a length further back was the plunge first starter Miss Zoom – backed in from $17 to start a $6 chance.
While a number of promising youngsters raced well in the event, they were no match for Dinner Date.
“It was a good win,” Hayes said. “She always appeared to be travelling well and she looked the winner a long way out.”
Connections went into today’s race with a good deal of confidence following the Flemington run and the comments from top international jockey Gerald Mosse.
“(Gerald) Mosse thought if it wasn’t so tight last time, she would have gone close to winning,” Hayes said.
“She was looking at them (other horses) and it cost her the race. So we put the winkers on her and they have certainly done the job for her.”
“We’ll probably put her away now. I would say she would make a better seven-furlong horse or a miler in the future.”
Dinner Date is one of two winners produced by the three time winning Rory’s Jester mare Quaglino.
A daughter of the international stakes winner Nile Empress, Quaglino is a half sister to the dams of Group One winners Pressday and The Mighty Lions.
The win provided Dinner Date’s half brother by Testa Rossa a great boost as he is being prepared for March’s 2011 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
