Untapped Excites filly Avadale more than lived up to the hype surrounding her debut with a dazzling four length victory at Gosford on Thursday.
Avadale (3f Excites – Miss Martindale by Rory’s Jester) was held back from her scheduled Canterbury appearance on Wednesday to race in the Hyne Maiden Hcp (1000m) on the Central Coast.
If anything, Thursday’s assignment looked even stronger on paper with a number of highly touted three-year-olds engaged. Nevertheless, the Clarry Connors trained filly turned in one of the more dominant maiden wins seen on the provincial circuit in some time.
“She was simply awesome,” Vinery Stud’s Adam White said. “The mail had been floating around that she was something special after her four length trial win at Warwick Farm. But you like to see them do it on raceday first before getting too carried away.”
Avadale is the third winner for Brisbane sprinter Miss Martindale following Mr Martindale (Monashee Mountain) and Alberici (Kempinsky). She also foaled an Excites colt last year.
Second dam Jade Court (Bletchingly) is a half-sister to the dam of Blizzardly (More Than Ready), a Listed winner of the AJC Keith Mackay Hcp at Randwick.
Avadale is a homebred for Peter and Wendy Moran. The Queensland couple bred and raced Excites during his outstanding career which was headlined by a G1 win in the AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at only his third start.
Importantly, the colt returned a three to run a luckless second in the G1 VATC Caulfield Guineas (1600m). “Peter has always suggested the Excites breed will only get better at three,” White added.
“He has a handful of three year-olds that are starting to get going. If they as are good as Avadale appears to be, then he’s going to have a lot more winners by the stallion this season.
“Avadale is from a Rory’s Jester mare and so is the second dam of his other good first-crop filly Amber’s Crown. That cross may prove to be significant in time.”
Amber’s Crown has won four of her six races and over $220,000 in Queensland. She was one of five 2YO winners by Excites from only 13 starters in 2010-11.
Excites has made a flying start with his 3YOs this season. There have been several winners already and his classy Perth based galloper Flag Officer can add another notch in Race 1 at Belmont on Saturday.