John Sargent, a trainer known for his success with three-year-old fillies, has unearthed another potential star in Global Goal, the winner of a thrilling three-way contest for the Group 1 $750,000 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
The trainer’s history includes nurturing outstanding fillies such as Kirramosa, Quintessential, Four Moves Ahead, Luvaluva, and Gust Of Wind, famously the last horse to beat the great Winx in the 2015 ATC Australian Oaks.
However, the impeccably bred Global Goal could potentially be his best yet, demonstrating a powerful finishing kick to secure a narrow victory in the prestigious Randwick fillies’ classic.
“I’ve been keen to get this filly out to a mile and she showed her class today,” Sargent stated.
“Dylan (Gibbons) rode her a treat today. It was always going to be tactical but he used his head, got on his ‘bike’ early and she outstayed them.
“He’s a very dedicated jockey and he can ride the big races as good as anyone.”
Global Goal ($3.30) produced a long, sustained run under jockey Dylan Gibbons, eventually catching De Armas ($12) by a neck, with the favourite Bangkok Hottie ($2.80) a half-neck back in third.
“When I saw I drew out today, I thought we’re going to get clear air, and when you give her clear air she’s an absolute demon,” Gibbons explained.
“So once I set out after them – and to her credit she has chased down some good fillies because that last furlong I thought I was motoring well enough to win but when I wasn’t taking ground off them I got a bit worried. But her last fifty or twenty metres, that’s a horse that wants to win.”
With only her fourth career start, Global Goal’s achievement of winning at Group 1 level while still so inexperienced was not a surprise to Gibbons.
“She’s an amazing horse with so much natural ability,” Gibbons remarked.
“The first time I trialled her, she pinged and led over 700 and I couldn’t hold her, and every other time I’ve ridden her since she doesn’t know how to get on the bridle.
“But she’s obviously maturing as time goes on. You ride her at home, and you wouldn’t think she hits a flat spot because there are no flat spots at home.
“She’s just a little ripper. All she’s done is please us this whole prep and I’m just thrilled for John and the owners. They’ve stuck solid the whole way through and they’re a great bunch of people to ride for.”
Global Goal’s win delivered Darley’s promising young stallion Pinatubo his first Group 1 winner in the southern hemisphere, significantly boosting her profile as a valuable commercial broodmare prospect.
“She is from a very good family, she is out of Tides who was out of Shoals,” Sargent revealed.
“Jonathan Munz and Arrowfield bred her and he bought them out at the (yearling) sales.
“We have a younger half-sister by Maurice that looks very promising, too.
“I have had some good fillies for Jonathan and it is great to get this result for him.”
While Sargent has a history of training Oaks winners, he indicated that Global Goal’s exceptional speed may make her unsuitable for the 2500m trip of the VRC Oaks this spring.
“She is probably not big and robust enough to be an Oaks filly,” he stated.
“But I will give her a few days in the paddock, there is not a lot of her, see how she is and we might look at either the Thousand Guineas or the Spring Champion Stakes.”
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