Debutant Simply too good at Echuca

A couple of blueblood three-year-olds provided trainer Danny O’Brien with an early double at Echuca on Monday.

O’Brien claimed the opening event on the program - a maiden over 1618m - with Thermogenic before completing the double when Simply You also broke her maiden in the third race of the day over 1109m.

By O’Reilly out of O’Brien’s former multiple Group 1 winning sprinter Glamour Puss, Simply You began quickly for apprentice jockey Regan Bayliss who took the filly straight to the lead.

Kicking strongly at the top of the straight, Simply You ($5 - $3.20F) had two lengths to spare on the line from the fast-finishing Tee ‘N’ Tee ($5), with Hovering ($15) further back in third.

Bayliss - who rode his first Stakes-winner in Adelaide on Saturday aboard the Peter Moody-trained Quayside in the Listed Tokyo City Cup (1800m) – said it was a deliberate plan to go forward on the debutant.

“I spoke to Mr O’Brien before the race and he just wanted me to ride the horse as positive as I could without doing too much work,” Bayliss said.

“She showed good early speed to put herself in the race. I got some good cheap sectionals mid-race and she travelled sweetly in the run and I liked the way she really hit the line nicely.”

Thermogenic ($2.60F), a half-brother to Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) winner Nechita by Northern Meteor, also took the early lead before holding on to win by a neck over Auckland Beauty ($3.20), with Benet ($17) a further head back in third.

Story by Ben Asgari for Racing.com, to watch replay of race and view full story click here

Photo by Slickpix, to view Slickpix click here