Sunrays ends stellar campaign in Show A Heart as trainer resists Group 1 JJ Atkins lure
Champion jockey Tommy Berry believes classy filly Sunrays would have been competitive in next Saturday's Group 1 JJ Atkins but unfortunately he won't get to find out.
The Kelly Schweida-trained Sunrays will now go for a spell after winning the Listed Show A Heart for two-year-olds over 1500m at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
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Schweida then grabbed a double early in the card, with Cejay Graham piloting $20 chance Vodka Martini to victory in the 1000m Lightning Handicap, ahead of Austmarr ($7) and the Schweida-trained Metalart ($6)
Owner Peter Moran may have been tempted to run her in the JJ Atkins (1600m) but he and Schweida will stick to their guns and send Sunrays for a rest.
Asked if the supremely gifted filly, who has now won five of her six races, could have been competitive in the JJ Atkins, Berry didn't hesitate in his response: 'If she didn't run today then yes.
'The aim was to run today and then go to the paddock. But running today, I felt like she was on the way down now. I don't think she was at her best today.
'She was a little bit flat in the way she raced and she didn't travel up that well for me off the bridle so she's got improvement
'At her best, if she'd missed today and had the extra week in between runs, for her to run top three (in the JJ Atkins) wouldn't have been out of her means.'
It would have been tough for Sunrays to back-up just seven days later in a long campaign that started in late January and finished with Saturday's mighty effort when the $3.20 favourite beat Jenni Gone Bonkers ($10) and Navy Pilot ($5.50) on a Soft 5 track.
'She'll be going straight for a spell now, so that was a great way to sign off her prep,' Schweida said.
'It was a great win, I don't think I've seen a jockey look more confident than Tommy did.
'He was pretty adamant she would be hard to beat, but she still had to tick the 1500m box and also the Eagle Farm box today.
'She's just so tough and she's done it all off her first prep, which is why we elected not to take her to the Group 1 next week (JJ Atkins). She's done a super job.'
Sunrays will be sent for a spell after winning the Show A Heart. Picture: Trackside Photography
Berry said he felt lucky to pick up the ride from regular jockey Cejay Graham, with the top Sydney hoop guiding her to wins in the Group 3 Ken Russell Stakes (1200m) on the Gold Coast and the Listed Bill Carter Stakes (1350m) at Doomben last month.
'Cejay had done a really good job on her before I picked up the ride,' he said.
'She gave me some really good insight into what she was like to ride, so that made things much easier for me.
'She's a lovely progressive filly, and I still think the best is yet to come with her.
'If you look at her frame she probably hasn't filled into it yet. She's still a bit narrow but there's nothing wrong with her heart, she had to dig deep today.
'It's very exciting to see what she can do over the spring.'
Originally published as Sunrays heads for well-earned spell after ending successful campaign with victory in Show A Heart at Eagle Farm
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