Two Fast Too Furious

David Pfieffer had all but conceded the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes to his odds-on rival as he saddled Cradle Me for the fiftieth time on Saturday. The angular bay paraded beautifully around the freshly renovated Eagle Farm course, the pride of the Brisbane Race Club, with an arched neck and gloss to her coat, chomping at the bit as Zac Purton was legged aboard.

Just ten days earlier Pfieffer watched in awe as a bid of $300,000 echoed across the same sales ring he had picked the awkward bay filly from for just $28,000 as a ready-to-run 2yo. Beside him sat members of Cradle Me’s ownership group and to their right were the beaming winning buyers, the Canungra-based Aquis Farm.

It looked to be the perfect finish for this rags-to-riches tale. A modestly-bred mare who took one lucky group of connections on a unforgettable journey and collected 10 wins, 2 Listed victories at Royal Randwick and $560,000 in the bank after 49 career starts. She represented the ultimate racing dream - a bargain buy who turned into a bulldog on the track and worthy of a valuable broodmare’s price tag.

But Cradle Me wasn’t done with yet.

Bouncing from barrier one, Purton let her find her feet in the first furlong and settle fifth midfield along the rail, three lengths astern of the leaders Onemorezeta and Traveston Girl. On straightening the pair stalked the frontrunners, and with all three under pressure Purton sat motionless and bided his time.

The final furlong approached fast and Cradle Me switched to the inside in a move that mirrored her barnstorming win in the Canterbury Classic at Randwick in December last year. Once clear and with just a small tap of the persuader Cradles quickened and had the race won within a few strides, easing up to the line.

“I rode her the other day and she only had a short sprint so just waiting on her was the key today” commented the winning rider.

“We were close enough that I was able to do that instead of making a long run from back in the field on her”.

Pfieffer had recommended her new owners give her “another go” after the mare’s condition and demeanour showed no signs of slowing down during the week. The decision gave the young trainer his first Group 2 success.

“The way she’s racing it would be hard to stop her” Pfieffer said. “She just gets better with age and is in the form of her life”.

“Zac (Purton) put her in a position to win the race. Just getting held up that bit at the top of the straight probably helps her use that acceleration she’s got”.

Aquis Farm could not have hoped for a better return on their investment, particularly as their newest stallion prospect Spill The Beans won another Group 2 in the QTC Cup just a few hours later.

Back home, Cradle’s dedicated foreman was bought to tears by her Princess’ biggest win.

“It’s a huge day for us. I was crying, she is just so tough” said Sue O’Keefe, the current chief of Pfieffer’s Warwick Farm operation.

“I must have been heard streets away!”.

Not to be outdone by her superior, the 3yo filly Denmagic almost delivered another upset victory in the Group 2 Queensland Guineas before favourite Tsaritsa closed late to spoil the party for Team Pfieffer.

In a stirring effort after racing wide with little cover, Tommy Berry pushed Denmagic to the front on straightening and the filly responded with a strong surge to look clear at the 300m mark. A second in a Group 2 after a promising run of stakes placings in Sydney rewards the faith Pfieffer had in the daughter of Denman.

“Like Cradle Me, she just thrived in Queensland and couldn’t be faulted heading into the Guineas” Pfieffer said.

“I knew she would appreciate the step up to the mile and she is a really exciting filly with a big future now, she will keep getting better”.

Pfieffer could not hide his excitement after his headline horses performed above and beyond in his home state. An ear-to-ear grin, an index finger raised to as he posed for photographs and a trail of reporters asking him the same question - now for the Group 1?

With Denmagic most likely heading for a spell, Pfieffer will have some thinking to do as he holds an option to roll the dice just one more time for one big prize in two weeks time.

“I’ll have to talk to the owners and see how we go from there” he replied, no doubt dreaming of his chance to add the Tatts Tiara to his glowing resume.

A $500,000 race over the 1400m at the same track must tempt the connections, particularly knowing the horse they will saddle has the punch of a champion heavyweight.

Just a few hundred metres from the track, a poignant print of the late Muhammad Ali provided an interesting spectacle to the patrons of the American Sports Bar on course. His sporting prowess and immeasurable greatness may have been slightly out of place on a racecourse in Australia, yet the fight of the Pfieffer mares resembled one of the champ’s most famous philosophies - float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.