ELEUTHERA GIVES THE SEARS STABLE A SATURDAY DOUBLE ACROSS TWO VENUES

By Graham Potter | Saturday, March 26, 2022

Eleuthera provided the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership with their fourth winner of the week when the mare saluted in a Class 3 Handicap over 1800m at the Gold Coast on March 26.

Easy to back at $5.50, the four-year-old daughter of Red Dazzler was on a heavy track for the first time, but she made light work of the task of racing on a heavy racing surface.

Angela Jones allowed Eleuthera the time to settle into a comfortable rhythm, but the pair then quickly went from midfield into a close-up third place, on the rail, just two lengths off the leader, when the $101 outsider Marecat took the field down the back straight.

At that stage Eleuthera raced a full three lengths in front of the $2.20 favourite, Who Loves To Dance, a margin that would become important later in the race.

Jones was still happy to play a patient waiting game on the sweep to the home turn, just angling out across heels though so Eleuthera could have a clear shot at them on straightening.

When they did straighten, Jones wasted no time in setting Eleuthera about her business and she responded by kicking into the lead.

The well fancied Loves To Dance was closer now looking to improve on Eleuthera’s outside, but, while he did dig in, so too did Eleuthera.

It quickly became apparent that Jones’s better positioning of Eleuthera early on, compared to that of Loves To Dance, her patience in saving something in the tank for Eleuthera to finish off while Loves To Dance had to use energy making up ground from behind … and her well-timed early move for home were going to be all too much for the favourite.

The preparation of Eleuthera by the Sears team and the stout effort of the horse itself were obviously also all key components of Eleuthera’s third career victory from eighteen starts.

It is a case of credit to all concerned.

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