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Classy mare Benedetta took the first step towards the Group 1 Sangster Stakes with her brilliant win in the $150,000 Group 3 Sportsbet R N Irwin Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville on the weekend.
Jason Warren's decision to base his team in Adelaide for three weeks and target the Adelaide Racing Carnival appears an astute move after Benedetta produced a brilliant finish to defeat Climbing Star in the feature, the win the second leg of a riding double for Daniel Stackhouse.
"She's obviously a terrific, honest mare,'' Warren said.
"She's been here 10 days now, we gave her the time to settle in.
"She'll have a nice two weeks to prepare for the Sangster and hopefully she continues to improve,'' he said.
Patrick Payne produced yet another brilliant training performance with exciting Victorian filly Wings Of Song, who landed her sixth win in succession, when she powered past rivals to win the $150,000 Group 3 Auraria Stakes (1800m) for three-year-old fillies.
It was a brilliant ride by Jake Noonan to match the training effort with Wings Of Song having her first start since winning the Tasmanian Oaks at Launceston in February defeating the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained pair of Quickster and Mollynickers.
Andrew Gluyas has the Group 3 Chairman's Stakes in his sights with exciting local three-year-old Air Assault who made it three wins in succession when he led throughout in the $120,000 Listed Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m).
It was another bold performance by Air Assault who defied the well-tried Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Warmonger, the second leg of riding double for Holder after winning the opening race aboard the Symon Wilde-trained Perle Bleue.
"He really earnt that,'' Gluyas said.
"He'll go to the 2000m in the Chairman's it will be a genuine test for him,'' he said.
The Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained Pure Aqua turned around two luckless runs to win the $120,000 Listed Without Fear Stakes (1050m) with Jake Toeroek in the saddle while Sir Sway's dramatic rise through the grades continued winning the $120,000 Listed Redelva Stakes (1100m) with Carleen Hefel in the saddle.
Hefel landing a riding double after partnering David Aldridge's Chicago Storm to a dominant 1.6 length victory in the $120,000 Listed City Of Adelaide Stakes (1527m) beating last year's winner My Khalifa.
