Valley Winner Could Be Off to Stud in a Flurry

Saturday, 17 August 2002 00:00

Group placed mare Flurry’s Gem may have run her last race after scoring an all the way win in the Rosemount Estate Diamond Chardonnay Handicap (1200m) at Moonee Valley this afternoon.

A daughter of the in form sire Perugino, Flurry’s Gem ($15-$17-$16) was having just her third start for her new Melbourne based trainer Danny O’Brien.

"She could go to stud right now," O’Brien said after the win. "Otherwise she will have one more start over 1400 metres before being retired."

Flurry’s Gem was purchased privately by the Widden Stud Syndicate’s Antony Thompson from her former Adelaide connections, a city where she was a three time winner.

After working to the front early in the race with the outsider Radjhabelle ($61), Flurry’s Gem soon sneaked clear of her rivals and held on for a three quarter length win.

Woodwina ($4.60-$6.50-$5.50) worked home solidly to grab second, just ahead of the Cranbourne trained mare Midday Matinee.

It’s been a big week for the Collingrove based stallion Perugino. On Monday his sprinting son Sudurka was crowned as the Super Vobis Horse of the Year for the last racing season which ended on July 31.

It was the third straight award win for Perugino. His brilliant son Testa Rossa won back to back titles over the previous two years.

Perugino, a son of the leading sire of sires Danzig, has done an amazing job at stud in Australia.

To date only one crop have graced our tracks and as well as the Group One stars Sudurka and Testa Rossa he is the sire of the dual Group winning mare Tickle My.

PICS - Quentin Lang.