PROMISING TWO-YEAR-OLD WINS AT HER SECOND START

By Graham Potter | Friday, April 28, 2023

To have a two-year-old moving in the right direction is always a boon for a racing stable and the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership seems to have found one that falls into that category in the form of the Spirit Of Boom filly, Avone.

Avone had hinted at having some ability when winning a trial shortly before entering race action where she has now had two starts for a sparking runner-up finish on debut on April 19 and a win when backing up nine days later on April 28.

Both of those runs were over 1110m in QTIS Two-Year-Old Maiden Plates and both were at Ipswich with the added QTIS prize-money meaning Avone has already banked a useful $44 250 in stakes after only two starts.

As previously stated ... she is certainly going in the right direction!

It is hard to say that Avone was disappointing on debut, even if she was beaten as a $1.70 favourite.

The Sears trained runner was chased relatively hard in the early stages by Ben Thompson to take up the clearly desired position at the front of the pack.

Once there, with the balance of the field already well strung out, Avone came back under Thompson to a degree, but was still moving at a steady gallop with the $26 chance She’sgotaccess close enough to her outside to annoy her in the sweep to the home turn.

When She’sgotaccess felt the pinch soon after straightening, Masterplan ($8.50) who had tracked Avone throughout, was next in line to challenge the Sears trained runner, edging slightly off the rail as if set to make it interesting, but, with Avone continuing to kick on strongly ... trying to do it at both ends ... both She’sgotaccess and Masterplan were found wanting.

While Avone remained solid enough to the line, she didn’t have enough left in reserve ... as could arguably be expected given the way the race had panned out ... to deal with the flying finish of the $21 outsider Mixed Spice who arrived with a rush over the final 150m to relegate Avone back into second place.

Fast forward those nine days and Avone was back, getting into the race as an emergency acceptor, to put into practise what she had learned on her debut run ... at better odds of $2.40 this time, but still easily the race favourite ... and here there would be no mistake.

Jumping from the number one barrier under Angela Jones, Avone had the gate speed to make good use of the draw slipping up along the rail to settle second ... and then third, just a couple of lengths back, as the $7 chance Sonny Daze went on to lead the field through the sweep to the turn.

With Avone looking happy enough tracking the speed instead of leading this time, Jones bided her time until the speed really went on as the field turned for home.

Avone still had it all to do though as Sonny Daze kicked on strongly and didn’t leave a lot of room for Avone who was making her run tight along the inside running rail.

Both Avone and Jones were undeterred though chasing bravely into the gap and then, just when it looked like Sonny Daze might be doing enough to thwart the challenge of the Sears trained runner, Avona changed gears in exciting fashion and stuck her neck out determinedly as she went past Sonny Daze to secure the win, going away by a 0.20 length margin.

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