Sentimental Hero had never been within a bull’s roar of leading in any one of his previous 24 starts but he looked a natural front-runner in the LR Allan Scahill Cup (2100m) on Railway Stakes Day at Ascot.
Bred and initially raced by Peters Investments, the veteran gelding controlled proceedings under a textbook ride by Lucy Fiore to score by three lengths from In Good Order (American Pharoah) and Red Sun Sensation (Awesome Rock).
Sentimental Hero (Photo / Western Racepix) was sold for $50,000 at an Inglis Digital Sale in July and earned $68,000 for Kalgoorlie part-owner and trainer Peter Fernie and Cambana Lad stable client Andrew Inglis.
“Lucy had been apologising for the last fortnight after her ride on him in the Luckygray (Stakes),” Fernie revealed. “She said she owed me and made up for it today.”
Fernie wouldn’t be drawn on a possible G2 Perth Cup (2400m) assignment while Fiore was happy to get it right employing new tactics for the winning connections.
“It was disappointing to be beaten in the last few strides last time. He went enormous but I stuffed up. I wanted some cover today but when he jumped I let him stride so we wouldn’t be caught three-wide.”
Sentimental Hero (Al Maher) joins Arcadia Prince (Pierro) and Silverstream (Al Maher) on the Scahill Cup’s recent honour-roll for Peters Investments.
He’s one of six winners from Sentimental Star (More Than Ready) who is a half-sister to LR Pinjarra Cup (2400m) winner Star Encounter (Jeune). The latter foaled the Bob and Sandra Peters homebreds Star Exhibit (G2 Perth Cup), Perfect Jewel (G2 WA Guineas) and Royal Star (LR Natasha Stakes).
Sentimental Hero is the fourth Peters Investments Listed winner this season following Diamond Scene (So You Think) in the Luckygray Stakes (1800m), London’s Image (Headwater) in the Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) and Midnight Blue (So You Think) in the Seymour Cup (1600m).
Lightly-raced 4yo mare Ideally (Vancouver) carried their cerise and white colours to victory in a Geraldton maiden last Sunday. Her dam Ideal Image is also by Vinery Stud’s champion shuttler More Than Ready (USA) and she won a G3 La Trice Classic (1800m), LR Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) and LR Jungle Dawn Classic (1400m).
Byerley Bloodstock’s Liam Peters also weighed in with $225,000 for a Proisir filly at the NZB 2YO Sale at Karaka on Wednesday. Her dam Polson (Northern Meteor) is a half-sister to Adelaide black-type winner Zauberin (Zabeel) from the family of Vancouver (Medaglia D’Oro) and Bradbury’s Luck (Redoute’s Choice).
