SHARP DAZZLER GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

By Graham Potter | Saturday, March 2, 2024

The Tony and Maddysen Sears trained Sharp Dazzler continued to fan the fire of his red hot run of form when he saluted for the third race in a row when taking out a QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap over 1400m at Eagle Farm on March 2.

There has just been no looking back for this son of Red Dazzler since he found his winning touch in a Maiden Plate over 1400m two runs ago.

The fact that first win came in as much as Sharp Dazzler’s eleventh start meant the three-year-old was on a slow boil but, boy, once he hit the ground running with that first success, his form-line has just taken off to a new level.

In his second win Sharp Dazzler took out a QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap over 1600m beating, amongst others, his much-vaunted stable companion Jungle Prince.

Sharp Dazzler started at $10 that day, but there was going to be no such favours on the betting boards this time with Sharp Dazzler marked up as the $1.95 favourite, odds which were fully justified by Sharo Dazzler’s performance on the track where he ultimately put his opponents to the sword to win by a little over two lengths.

Cejay Graham, who had ridden Sharp Dazzler in both of his previous wins, again did the honours in the saddle.

Graham got Sharp Dazzler away well at the break, but then was eased, going all the way back to eighth place and seven lengths off the leader ... and held wide ... as Grand Meteor stretched the field out early.

Sharp Dazzler was still very much in the second half of the field as he cornered five wide, a bit closer now, but still with five lengths to make up ... in fact, the equation came down to five lengths to make up and six horses to pass if Sharp Dazzler was to get the result the betting indicated would occur.

At that stage, you would have been forgiven for thinking that the favourite’s chances might be on shaky ground. Certainly, even if he had the ability to round up the opposition, Sharp Dazzler’s commitment to do so ... his mental toughness ... would also have to kick in.

So, in essence, Sharp Dazzler was being tested on two fronts here ... and he passed on both counts with flying colours.

He initially ran on well enough in the first half of the straight, but it was when he changed gears inside the final 200m that it became clear that Sharp Dazzler already had his rivals covered ... the final 2.25 length margin of victory clearing franking the merit of his effort after chasing from five lengths back early in the straight.

The last three wins alone, achieved in less than a month, have been worth $118 000 in prize-money to the connections of Sharp Dazzler whose overall career statistics now stands at three wins and six places from thirteen starts.

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