Sky’s the limit for “SABATINI”

Nick Hall predicts better races are head for the Lee and Shannon Hope-trained Sabatini after the three year-old filly scored a strong win in the Group 3 Kevin Hayes Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.

The filly, which finished third beaten a length at her last start in the Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield last October, has now won three of her seven starts and only once has been unplaced.

She has been entered for next month’s Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington and the Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m) at Randwick in April.

Hall said he would like to see the filly win a couple of more races over 1200m before progressing to 1400m.

“She is capable, intelligent horse and she’ll be winning good races this time in,” he said.

“I don’t know if she is a miler, but she’ll win a few 1200s and she’ll get out to 1400 and we’ll just see beyond that.”

Lee Hope said after Sabatini’s track gallop at Seymour on Tuesday, he believed she could win.

There was some specking for the filly, who paid $11.90 (Tabcorp), and scored by three quarters of a length from Royal Schnitzel, with Fontein Ruby a nose away in third.

Hope said Sabatini would only improve after her first-up run.

He said the filly was having her sixth race in the Thousand Guineas and although she ran super, she didn’t quite run out the 1600m.

By Daryl Timms – Sunday Herald Sun