Warrior Girl took the massive step from maiden class to open class and did it magnificently when she produced an amazing finish to win the $253,237 David Jones Magic Millions Sprint (1000m) at the Gold Coast today.
In a training masterstroke from popular local horsewoman Maryann Thexton, Warrior Girl was able to rumble home from the back of the field and reel in fancied runner Fab Fevola who was being hailed the winner after racing to the lead in the straight.
But in the end it was the girls who triumphed with Thexton teaming up with local rider Kelly Purdy to win the big race by a half length.
Thexton knew that Warrior Girl was a bright prospect, but against the seasoned sprinters in the field, she wasn’t confident that the long shot could get home.
“I thought it was such a big step. We certainly knew she could gallop and that’s why I said to the owners, if we could get the run we’d take it.”
“We totally respected the field. We knew they were all good gallopers too.”
“But the one thing I did notice after we stopped screaming was the deathly quiet in the stands.”
“No one expected it, but we knew she could gallop and that’s why we were in the race.”
Raced by the Jamaica Run Thoroughbred Syndicate, Warrior Girl was purchased for just $6,000 from the draft of Kilto Park at the 2008 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
With three runs under her belt, Warrior Girl was already earned $165,000 and with a Carnival campaign beckoning that figure will only continue to grow.
“I must give great credit to (winning rider) Kelly Purdy. She’s had about 10 rides for the stable for seven wins.”
“She rides these horses every morning and she knows them inside out.”
“We made the decision to leave her on two horses today because we thought she knows them – she knows when to push the buttons.”
Warrior Girl isn’t the easiest horse to handle according to connections.
“Once she’s under saddle she is great. But she’s hard to get the saddle on, hard to get onto the track, hard to get in the barriers and she didn’t want to come out of the stalls today – we had to push her out backwards.”
“She’s really temperamental. But we work with it, not against it.”
A spell is next on the cards for the talented daughter of Ombra Della Sera.
“She’s going to go to the paddock now for a well deserved rest. She’s had more trials than she has trials.”
“Hopefully with these past couple of wins she will go out with some positive experiences and come back for the winter carnival.”
Warrior Girl is one of 48 winners by Brave Warrior’s stakes winning son Ombra Della Sera.
Her dam, the unraced Al Hareb mare Abba Dabba, is the dam of two winners and hails from the same family as Niagara, Red Glory, Chettak, Heroism and Jar Jar Binks.
