Sail Session was tagged a G2 WA Derby prospect after winning an Ascot maiden in January and now he’s heading in the right direction after claiming the Kitt Logistics Hcp (1500m) on Saturday.
The Oakland Park homebred missed an intended start in the LR Lex Piper Stakes (1600m) last Sunday but the ease of yesterday’s win had trainer Dan Morton confident he can back up in the LR John Roberts Stakes (1800m) next Saturday.
“We had to tread water and scratch him last weekend which was disappointing,” Morton said. “He wasn’t a 100% but now we’re on the right leg for the WA Derby. I instructed Lucy (Fiore) to go back from the awkward draw and they settled three-wide with cover.”
Sail Session went out favourite in a wide-betting race and scored by over a length from Trespassing (Invader) with a gap to third-placed Close At Hand (Impending). Bookmakers firmed him into $5 for the $400,000 WA Derby (2400m) on April 19 behind the more favoured fillies Machine Gun Gracie (Maschino) and Twilight Tale (Savabeel).
Sail Session (3g Sessions – Unfurl by Raise The Flag) is raced by Oakland Park owners Neville and Susan Duncan in partnership with Morton’s wife Carol. His dam is a NZ-bred mare who won up to 2400m in Victoria and was placed in a LR Port Adelaide Cup and LR Warrnambool Cup
Oakland Park had purchased Unfurl for $75,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale and her yearling is a filly named Flying In The Wind (Maschino).
“Dan told me to ride him cold so I was a bit worried when he felt fresh in the prelim down to the barriers,” Fiore said. “But he settled perfectly and did the rest in the straight. He’s honest and can measure up over a longer distance.”
Sail Session was the second-leg of a Sessions double at Ascot following Cessation (Sessions) in the Hugh Jamieson Trophy (1200m). The Tiarnna Noske-trained mare was a TBWA Winner Of The Week in February after a successful debut at Pinjarra.
Oakland Park’s winning record in the WA Derby goes back to Shirazamatazz (Barathea) when it was a Group 1 classic in 2003.