Politeness has earned a much-deserved break in the spelling paddock after winning the Group 3 Summoned Stakes on Saturday, two weeks later than originally planned.
Summoned Stakes winner Politeness will enjoy a well-earned break before the autumn racing season. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Plans had been for Politeness to go to the spelling paddock after the 2014 Myer Classic but her stable wanted to give the mare one last chance to end the spring season on a winning note.
It was a good thing they did because the four-year-old mare returned to her winning form with an outstanding two length victory over Judical Rock in the 2014 Summond Stakes at Sandown Racecourse.
Stuart Webb, deputising for trainer Robert Smerdon, said Politeness was one of the best horses in the stable but also one of the most difficult.
“She’s very one dimensional and she doesn’t always fire when things don’t go her way,” Webb told Sky Racing.
“It was great to see her have clear galloping room and hit the line like that.”
The Group 3 P.J. Bell Stakes (1200m) winner back in April performed consistently this spring but failed to place in any of her four starts.
She finished just outside the placings in the Group 3 Sportingbet Sprint (1200m), Group 2 Blazer Stakes (1400m), and Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) before stepping up to the highest level of racing for the first time on November 1 in the Group 1 Myer Classic (1600m).
After settling in front of a few, the mare came up the middle of the track and ran well despite being inconvenienced at the concluding stages. She finished seventh but was just two lengths off the winner.
Politeness will now be aimed towards the Princess Series in Sydney during the 2015 autumn racing carnival, which the stable hope can lead towards a start in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m).
“She can have a month’s break and then look to those mares’ races in the autumn up in Sydney,” Webb continued.
“Who knows she may even pop into a Doncaster on the minimum.”
The Princess Series include the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m), Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m), Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m), and Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m).
Samantha Miss (2008) and Angst (1993) are the only two horses to win the entire series. Only time will tell if Politeness is gearing to become the third.
