When Adrift was purchased at the 2013 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale by James Harron Bloodstock, she was bought as a filly for whom an Oaks would be an ultimate aim. Prior to last weekend all had been going to plan, with her winning her second two starts in impressive fashion, over 1850m and 1600m and in the style of a filly who will relish getting over an Oaks trip.
Fast forward to her current preparation, and she was sent straight into the fire for the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes. With First Seal, Peggy Jean, Mossfun and Amicus all Group 1 winners, the field was an exceptionally strong one and Adrift was taking these proven Gr.1 horses on at level weights. In the event, Adrift, carrying the famous colours of John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds, quite simply came of age with a brilliant performance, showing tremendous natural speed and the tenacity of a highly-promising filly to hold off First Seal.
Adrift is a three-parts sister to Maldivian who, while a Group 1 winner at 1400m, was at his best beyond that distance in a career which was highlighted by a Cox Plate win. They are both by the incredible Zabeel, and a delve into the statistics points to some amazing facts with regard to Zabeel’s progeny. Adrift is only the second filly by Zabeel to win a Gr.2 or Gr.1 race at 1200m, the other being Peruzzi who also won the Light Fingers fully 20 years ago in 1995. Indeed, Zabeel sired just one winning filly at 1200m in the whole of 2014, that being Katie’s Cove who won a maiden at Matamata, and was later second to Chautauqua in the Hawkesbury Guineas. Zabeel’s statistics over further distances are quite extraordinary. He is the sire of seven individual Oaks winners, amongst thirteen Gr.1 winning fillies at 1800m and beyond.
With that in mind, it’s quite amazing how Adrift was able to defeat a top-class field on fillies at 1200m in her first foray into Saturday company, let alone her first try at Group level. Congratulations go to her great group of owners, and with her pedigree and profile in mind, Adrift surely has her best days well ahead of her.