First foal from dual Group 1 winner to step out at Flemington
Just Like Gaby was a scratching from last week's Caulfield meeting but the many awaiting her debut will not be kept on edge for much longer with the high-priced filly to step out at Flemington this Saturday.
The first foal out of dual Group 1 winner Loving Gaby runs in the $150,000 VRC Member Russell Dawson Plate (1000m) for two-year-olds.
Loving Gaby started at Flemington three times for Group 1 second placings in the Champions Sprint (1200m) and Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and a third placing in the Black Caviar Lightning (1000m).
Either side of those runs were her Group 1 wins, in the Manikato Stakes and William Reid Stakes over The Valley 1200m.
There was naturally going to be plenty of interest in progeny of the daughter of I Am Invincible at stud and while Just Like Gaby was far from the highest-priced yearling at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast sale, she set a record of sorts when sold for $800,000.
That remains the highest amount paid for a product of Pierro's son Pierata, who will this year command a fee of $66,000 at Victoria's Yulong Stud.
Just Like Gaby was knocked down Kevin Kelly and Ciaron Maher, who trained Loving Gaby in partnership with David Eustace, and the champion trainer said at the time he was determined to get her one way or another.
"I saw her as a foal at Segenhoe Stud when I was up there the year before and she was a cracking horse then and I thought, at one stage, they were going to retain her, being a filly, so I was hoping that I didn't have to buy her," Maher said at the sale.
"But, either way, we now have her to train so we're looking forward to that."
Just Like Gaby is now based at Maher's Cranbourne stable, but only travelled down last week having done the bulk of her preparations in Sydney.
She finished last in a 798m Warwick Farm trial on June 17 before winning over 811m at the same track on July 1.
Just Like Gaby has drawn the second-widest gate in a field that is down to 13 after a couple of early scratchings with Jamie Kah to ride.
She shares the $6.50 second line of betting with Rubick colt Skipjack, behind brilliant Caulfield debut winner First Settler ($2.15).
