Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Wexford Stables’ exciting juvenile filly Dashing Dixie (Alabama Express) is TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) bound following her debut victory at Te Rapa on Saturday.
The daughter of Alabama Express had placed in her two trials over 800m leading into her first raceday appearance, and trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott were hopeful of a bold showing.
In a compact field of four, Dashing Dixie jumped away well and maintained her advantage on the rail to take up the pace making role. She was eyed by Sword Of Stars throughout but was able to get the better of her rival in the concluding stages to win by half a length.
With her debut earnings of $37,375, she has jumped to fourth-equal in order of entry for the Karaka Millions 2YO, guaranteeing her spot in the rich feature, much to the delight of her trainers.
“It’s probably no surprise to the team that she did what she did,” O’Sullivan said. “We certainly rated her quite highly. With four runners, she was able to relax in front and quicken off the corner.
“The team certainly likes her and we have got a ticket in the big lottery now.”
Dashing Dixie will likely have one more run before the January 24 showpiece, and O’Sullivan said they will lock in that target in the coming days.
“We will get home on Monday and Andrew, myself and the team will go through it and make a decision where to from here,” he said. “It will be good to have a runner (in the Karaka Millions).”
Bred by Elsdon Park principal Lib Petagna, under his JML Bloodstock banner, Dashing Dixie is out of unraced Zoustar mare War Goddess, whose grandam is Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner She’s Country.
Dashing Dixie was offered through Elsdon Park’s New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft in January where she was purchased by Wexford Stables for $340,000.
“We go through and do our homework, and she was one that we selected,” O’Sullivan said. “We really liked her and we had to pay a little bit of money for her. Often it doesn’t come off, but today it has.”
O’Sullivan has been rapt with her progress to date and he expects her to improve as she strengthens and matures with time.
“In her first prep she was a little bit weak,” he said. “She still has a lot of improvement and she is only going to continue to get better.”
