SUTTON Grange trainer Brent Stanley scored one of the most important wins of his young training career when Sweet Sherry won the first Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on Sunday.
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Stanley has high hopes for two-year-old Sweet Sherry after the filly passed her first serious test with flying colours in the $120,000 race.
Sweet Sherry took out Melbourne's first two-year-old race of the season, winning the stakes race in fine style.
"I've got no doubt she's a very high quality filly," Stanley said.
The trainer is considering one more spring start for Sweet Sherry in an Inglis sales related race at Moonee Valley this month with the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper on the radar early next year.
"There's no doubt she's got plenty of improvement to come," Stanley said.
"We haven't got to the bottom of her at all. She's had a really soft jump-out at Cranbourne and another soft one on Monday at Kyneton.
“That's all she has done really, she's never been let off the bridle (before today).
"It was her first time up the straight, you could see she was a bit lost.
"Through the preparation I said she might make it to the top level on what she's showing us at the moment, and she's ticked another box today."
Ridden by Damien Oliver, Sweet Sherry ($8) settled just off the speed before hitting the lead between the 300m and 200m.
Kinetic Design ($17) finished the race off nicely but could only get to within half a length of Sweet Sherry with Moshway ($21) 1-1/4 lengths away third.
Favourite Manuel ($1.80) finished fourth and was later found to be lame in his near foreleg.
Sweet Sherry, a $260,000 yearling from the Melbourne Inglis Premier Sale, is by Bel Esprit out of Amoroso and is a half-sister to Group Two winner Arinosa.
Oliver’s win on Sweet Sherry was overshadowed by a suspension handed to the champion hoop.
Oliver was found guilty of careless riding aboard Tivaci in race four and suspended for 10 meetings.
He will miss next Saturday’s Caulfield Guineas meeting, which includes the rides on Ready For Victory (Caulfield Guineas), Fawkner (Caulfield Stakes), Disposition (Toorak Handicap) and Jameka (Thousand Guineas).
Meanwhile, in-form Sydney jockey Hugh Bowman was fined $750 on a whip breach following his winning ride on the Chris Waller-trained Preferment in the Turnbull Stakes, while Darren Gauci was fined $500 for the same offence after winning the UCI Stakes on the Shawn Mathrick-trained Ayers Rock.
