TOO EASY FOR EXCLUSIVE DROP

By Graham Potter | Saturday, February 3, 2024

A Maiden Plate over 1000m at Dalby on February 3 proved to be easy pickings for the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership, jockey Justin Stanley and the three-year-old Santos filly Exclusive Drop ... who romped in by 5.50 lengths at a starting price of $1.55.

It had taken ten starts for Exclusive Drop to get the win, but it had been coming after Exclusive Drop finished a close up third in her previous start at Gatton over the 850m dash.

The heavy track and the steamy conditions at Dalby certainly held no fears for Exclusive Drop, but the short-priced favourite did have to be hustled and bustled by Stanley early and took all of 200m to hit the lead but, effectively, once there, it proved to be ‘race over.’

The leading margin of a little over a length on straightening would simply just grow and grow as Exclusive Drop dropped her rivals in the home straight with little fuss to record a win which was every bit as comfortable as the 5.50 length winning margin suggests.

Race caller Brett Moody aptly summed up the performance describing Stanley’s ride and Exclusive Drop’s run over the final 200m by saying ‘he puts her into second gear ... I don’t think there’s a need for third there ... hands and heels to the line ... it’s an Easy One for Exclusive Drop. That’s how you want all short-priced favourites to win.”

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