By Lydia Symonds

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Joe Pride, Jamie Walter’s Proven Thoroughbreds and Kerrie Tibbey’s Goodwood Farm enjoyed an interstate double on Saturday and the brilliant afternoon was headed by In Flight’s (Flying Artie) victory in the Sir John Monash Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) at Caulfield. 

The combination’s exciting day was kicked off by In Flight’s stablemate King’s Secret (Shalaa), who added a fourth win to his burgeoning CV with a victory in a Benchmark 72 (1100m) at Randwick. 

Following her two last-start victories in the Bright Shadow Stakes (Listed, 1110m) and Charley AO Stakes (Listed, 1100m), In Flight was sent off the warm $2.50 favourite under Craig Williams for the Group 3 and the four-year-old proved worth the support, coming from the back of the field to post a length victory over New York Lustre (Manhattan Rain). 

Recommendation (Shalaa), winner of the Group 3 12 months ago, produced another gutsy effort to finish another 0.5 lengths adrift in third. 

Pride was pleased with the mare’s performance and outlined some lofty Group 1 targets at Rosehill for her in the autumn.

“I thought in the run we would be a lot closer and not tracking out so wide and that is probably what made it so awkward for her,” Pride said. 

“But she’s a pretty good mare for what she has already done this winter. 

“I’m thinking in the autumn that she could be a type for the Oakleigh Plate or The Galaxy, a couple of nice 1100-metre races. 

“I don’t think she has got to do too much to improve to get to that next level as she is going through the grades quite quickly.”

Pride said In Flight was not a gross mare but tough, and where she heads now is something of a dilemma for the trainer. 

“I don’t like to think about those things on race day, so we’ll celebrate the win,” he said. 

“She’s a very talented mare, not a gross mare, so she could do with some time in the paddock, but we’ll get her home and have a think about that. 

“She’s won in three different states at her last three starts, so that says a bit about her toughness.” 

Williams brought up a winning treble for the afternoon with In Flight’s victory and moved to within four victories of Blake Shinn in the Melbourne Jockeys’ Premiership race. 

The veteran rider said that In Flight was favourite for a reason, and is an exciting prospect going forward. 

“She’s very effective with give in the track and this is probably the firmest track she has been on this preparation, and she won with a bit of authority today,” Williams said.  

“She’s still quite raw, she’s got really good talent and ability, and you can see her profile as a racehorse. 

“After being a part of Bella Nipotina’s career, being a part of Mr Brightside, when the trainers have the right product and the trainers place them as they do, you can never put a lid on these horses ceiling and I think she’s the perfect example of that, especially when she gets her conditions.” 

In Flight was a $220,000 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling purchase for Proven Thoroughbreds and her trainer from her breeder Goodwood Farm, who retained a share in the mare. 

She is out of the US Listed winner Waveline (Stravinsky), who was purchased by Tibbey for $10,000 via an Inglis Digital Sale in 2020. Her four other winners also include stakes-placed winner Waimea Bay (All Too Hard). 

Waveline herself is out of winning mare Teresa Ann (Boston Harbor), making her a half-sister to Grade 3 scorer Eddie Haskell (Square Eddie). 

Waveline died in 2023 and her final foal was a colt by Rebel Dane (California Dane), who was purchased by Luke Koumi and Kennewell Racing for $14,000 at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale earlier this year. 

One of ten stakes winners for Blue Gum Farm’s Flying Artie (Artie Schiller), In Flight headlined a top day for her sire, who had three other winners across the country including fellow Caulfield scorer Illyivy. 

Flying Artie will stand the upcoming season in Victoria at a reduced fee of $11,000 (inc GST), down from $16,500 in 2024.

Meanwhile, In Flight’s stablemate King’s Secret, who continued his impressive rise through the grades at Randwick, is a half-brother to multiple Group 1-winning stablemate Private Eye (Al Maher). 

Like his sibling and In Flight, the three-year-old was bred and sold by Goodwood Farm. 

King’s Secret has been partnered by Andrew Adkins at each start this preparation, and the rider said he doesn’t want to put a lid on what heights the gelding might reach. 

“Joe and his team keep raising the bar and he keeps saying, ‘how high?’” Adkins said. 

“He’s going obviously super this preparation. He is really maturing. I was a bit worried going to the gates. That was the calmest he has ever been. 

“It’s just him maturing, him switching on and learning to do all the right things and all the basics. He is really getting a hang of that winning style now.” 

The only time King’s Secret has missed the placings this preparation was at Rosehill last month, and Adkins said Pride took the blame for that effort and quickly rectified the issue. 

“Two [starts] back when he went amiss there at Rosehill I said, ‘I don’t know what’s gone on with him’ and Joe said, ‘I had him too fresh’,” the rider said. 

“He took him back home and sorted him out. Gave him a bit of work and he came back and won. Kudos to Joe and his team, they’ve done a great job.” 

Stable representative Orla Pearl said being a relation to one of the stable’s favourite horses made the gelding’s form this preparation even more significant. 

She said: “Andrew rode him brilliantly today. He knows him so well now. Before the race he said, ‘we won’t be riding the race, we’ll be riding the horse’ and that’s exactly what he’s done. And the horse, he is just so versatile and he has proved that. It’s impressive. 

“To see a mare throw horses like that again and again and to have the family in the stable. It’s something special.”

King’s Secret was a $100,000 buy for Proven Thoroughbreds and his trainer at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in 2023.