Blue Door’s name has a captivating history, evident in her commanding first-run victory in the Group 3 $250,000 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) held at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Produced from Stay Inside and Notting Hill, the filly’s designation came from owner John Singleton’s account.
“My daughter, Jess, was living at Notting Hill in London and I went to visit here last year,” Singleton told Racing And Sports.
“I noticed all the doors in her street were painted blue and when Jess went out, I thought why not paint her door red.
“But when Jess came home, she wasn’t happy and suspected it was me. So, I had to have the door painted blue again.”
Blue Door, quoted at $4.40 and co-owned with Singleton’s daughter, held on by a narrow half neck from the swift-closing The Next Episode ($2.80 favourite), as Under Focus ($5.50) trailed by a length for third.
Trainer Bjorn Baker’s approach was notable, limiting Blue Door to a solitary 900m barrier trial ahead of her immediate Group 3 challenge on debut.
“We don’t often ask a two-year-old to go straight into a stakes race on debut but she’s very good,” Baker said of Blue Door.
“They don’t often trial like that, as the punters’ will know, and I like them to me there and have a raceday test, we make no secret of that, but the way she did it and the time she ran, she looked to have plenty left.
“She’s shown exceptional ability since we’ve had her. She was a great trial winner and great to win for Singo and the team.
“I’m not sure if he’ll shout the bar today, but I’m going to make the most of it.”
Jockey Rachel King spoke glowingly of Blue Door’s performance, settling beyond the leader, striking the front in the drive, and repelling the rush by The Next Episode from the tail after a tardy beginning.
“I was a little wary off only one trial, I know she was very impressive in her trial, but we would always like them to have two,” King said.”But her gallop on Tuesday was super so I knew she’d taken plenty of benefit from that trial,
“She tired late the last 50m, but she’s got a great attitude, she’s a real race horse, she wants to win. She’s very professional, she’s got that will to win and wants to find the line.”
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