BEAU DAZZLER TAKES OUT THE LISTED PHELAN READY STAKES IN ONLY HIS SECOND CAREER START

By Graham Potter | Saturday, December 9, 2023

A three-venue treble for the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership!

That was the stable’s very satisfying return on December 9 with Beau Dazzler winning at Eagle Farm, Cape Crusader winning at the Gold Coast and Most Dazzling saluting at Toowoomba.

Pride of place went to Beau Dazzler ... only having his second start and, in spite of racing very green, being good enough to win the Listed Phelan Ready Stakes over 1000m at Eagle Farm.

It wasn’t the colt’s fault that there were only four starters in this $200 000 feature ... how is it that trainers and owners complain about prize-money yet only four horses turn up for a race like this ... but such a small field often translates not a very tricky race and that certainly was the case here.

In assessing Beau Dazzler ... his performance in his debut outing should be noted.

Unwilling to go early despite the urgings of his rider Nozi Tomizawa, Beau Dazzler ($3.90) was tailed off midrace ... all of eleven lengths off the leader.

Tomizawa ultimately did a good job in finally getting Beau Dazzler to settle and pick up his stride after which the colt quickly moved up and tagged onto the field ... and then, without a break, continued his run, gaining ground throughout to swing five wide on straightening, now four lengths back and closing.

Sheza Chiquitita ($9) was slightly ahead of Beau Dazzler at that time, but these two runners quickly joined issue, racing at very close quarters, as they dragged each other up into the lead where their stride-for-stride battle continued with Sheza Chiquitita edging out Beau Dazzler at the line.

From eleven lengths back down to a short-head at the line. Hard to argue against opinion that Beau Dazzler’s erratic behaviour in the early running probably cost him the win.
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Certainly, the Sears camp were confident enough to jump Beau Dazzler to Listed company and the Phelan Ready Stakes. His first run had not gone unnoticed and he started favourite at $2.40.

His opening again was not encouraging, but was not anywhere near as compromising as it was on debut.

Slow away again, but back into stride quickly enough, Robbie Dolan was able to settle Beau Dazzler on the rail just a little of two lengths of the lead holding down third spot in the four-horse contest.

Coming to the home turn Beau Dazzler was perfectly poised to strike, but it wasn’t going to be a smooth passage in the run home, in no small part because of Beau Dazzler’s own greenness.

After Dolan had switched him out across heels, Beau Dazzler immediately wanted to hang in again. That cost him at least a length, but Beau Dazzler quickly knuckled down to the task again, closing fast and then almost running onto the heels of Butwedid ($5.50) with a little over 100m left to run.

This time though Dolan was able to shift Beau Dazzler out marginally without losing ground, and Beau Dazzler, just as he did in his first start, seemed to relish the challenge and, this time, he duly forged to the lead to get home by a clearcut 0.60 length margin.

Clearly, Beau Dazzler is a horse with above average ability on the rise.

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