| In Secret confirmed her status as Australia’s best three-year-old and one of the world’s finest sprinters with a barnstorming win in today’s Group One Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington. |
| After settling worse than midfield early, the daughter of I Am Invincible was able to work through between runners before bursting to the front with about 300 metres to run and racing to a decisive win. While the actual race went without drama, there was plenty pre-race when In Secret’s rider Jamie Kah was concussed after a two horse fall in the VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes. Kah, along with Craig Williams, was hospitalised after the fall and connections of In Secret had to engage lightweight hoop Dean Holland, who is one of the rare Victorian riders who can ride at 51.5 kilograms. Winning trainer James Cummings was the proudest man on course with the effort of his star filly, but his thoughts were squarely on Jamie Kah. “First and foremost, the hardest thing to do is remove the emotion from it because we really feel for Jamie and we hope she’s alright and that’s the most important thing of all.” “Then you’ve got to press on and it’s business and find who is available at 51.5 (kilos) and it’s not an easy thing because the Victorian limit weights have raised to 54 and it’s pretty rare for riders to regularly be available to ride at such a light weight.” “Dean Holland is the kind of guy that has been there to ride for the Hawkes’ at 47 in a Lightning on a two-year-old and he’s ridden light his whole life.” “So we went through the ride for the next 25 minutes and I showed him the replays and I showed him Dominic Beirne’s map. He’s a pretty bullish guy, he didn’t seem phased at all for any minute with me and he rode her accordingly.” “I’ve got to give him credit for filling big shoes there and doing the job.” “Didn’t she just explode through the gap? We were confident we had her perfect, but she just exploded through the gap when it came and was upon them from second last in the run.” “It was a proper Newmarket and with 51.5 we just didn’t see when she was at her best and had clear running how they might beat her.” “She’s proven to be absolutely top-shelf again. She’s two from three this preparation and she can head straight to the TJ (Smith Stakes) in three weeks and look like not only a competitive chance but a big force in that feature.” “With 51.5 he (Holland) was able to just make a tiny bit more use of her earlier and she was just able to descend upon them and demonstrate her dominance.” “She steps up to weight-for-age in three weeks and the best sprinters in the country, but she’s a very, very good horse and we’re grateful as a team to have her.” “For his Highness Sheikh Mohammed to win another Newmarket here – the second in the last four years – is a big result.” “A great shout to the team everywhere who had their hands on this filly, we haven’t seen the last of her yet,” Cummings added. “But what a record she’s got already.” Holland was pleased he was able to deliver on the biggest stage while dealing with immense pressure pre-race. “First of all, what I didn’t want to do was carry on, win, lose or draw with what happened with Jamie and Willo,” Holland said after the win. “My thoughts go out to them.” “I’m just the lucky one that was able to ride light today and picked up the ride on one of Australia’s best sprinters.” “James had no other options, unfortunately. I was the one with the lightweight. He had faith in me.” “He talked me through the race beforehand and just showed me a few replays and a few things like that. He said she has had a tendency to be a bit slow away this prep, and if she is, leave her alone and trust her. She has a strong finish and I rode her accordingly and she was too good.” “I didn’t want to push the button too soon, but everything opened up and everything around me was under pressure.” “She responded really well but it’s very lonely out there over the final 200 metres down the straight. I wasn’t sure if anything was coming, but she was very tough, a rock fit horse and probably the best horse in the race.” Holland confessed to feeling pressure in having to step in for Kah aboard one of the country’s most accomplished fillies. “Absolutely. I kept it together pretty well. My valet Colin Dean and his son, they kept me pretty relaxed and James gave me confidence.” “I hadn’t ridden for him before, but he was pretty relaxed. We got the job done, that’s the main thing.” In Secret, bred by Segenhoe Stud in partnership with Michael Christian’s Saconi Thoroughbreds, was a $900,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy in 2021 for the Godolphin team. From just nine starts to date, In Secret has notched six wins and three placings and earned over $2.8 million. She is also a multiple Group One winner. By Yarraman Park Stud’s champion sire I Am Invincible, In Secret is from the multiple group winning Choisir mare Eloping – also a Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase. Eloping, a seven time winner and $1.2 million earner, in turn is a sister to stakes placed Jesse’s Girl and half sister to ill fated group winning juvenile Of the Brave. Winner: In Secret Breeding: I Am Invincible-Eloping (Choisir) Breeder: Segenhoe T’breds Australia, Saconi T’breds (Michael Christian) Race: VRC Newmarket Handicap G1 (1200m) Sold for: $900,000 Sale: 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Vendor: Segenhoe Stud (As Agent) Buyer: Godolphin Earnings: $2,814,850 Owners: Godolphin Trainer: James Cummings (Flemington) |
