UNIQUE AMBITION BLOWS ‘EM AWAY IN THE MIDWAY

Unique Ambition was right in her comfort zone as she cruised home in the Midway at Randwick - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

“At last everything went right for the mare,” said a relieved John Sargent after Unique Ambition’s brilliant win in Saturday’s Randwick Midway. “She’d won three races previously including a Rosehill Midway eighteen months ago, but not much has gone right since. Apart from several niggling issues it took us a while to work out that this mare is best when ridden back and absolutely loves a genuine speed.”

Nash Rawiller hadn’t been on Unique Ambition’s back before Saturday’s BM72 but listened intently to the trainer’s instructions and carried them out to the letter. The uniquely talented jockey simply allowed the five year old mare to amble out of the extreme outside gate before crossing straight to the fence at the tail of the field. She was in front of just one runner at the 800m and every bit of ten lengths from the leader Dusty Bay. Her stablemate Vetwelve was racing outside the leader with well supported runners Audrey’s Lane and Annie’s Rose close up. Mailata, backed into favouritism by McDonald devotees was travelling in sixth spot one off the fence.

On straightening for home Unique Ambition was actually last for a fleeting moment and still at least eight lengths from the leader Dusty Bay on top of the rise. Her effort from that point on was the work of a horse capable of winning in better class. Not only did she pick up the leaders with ridiculous ease, but Rawiller was actually putting on the brakes as they hit the line. Her winning margin was 1.35 lengths, but there’s little doubt it could have been greater. Nash Rawiller said Unique Ambition was “jogging” in the middle stages and relishing the solid pace. Although still a long way off them at the 300m, the jockey felt she always had them covered.

Unique Ambition got things exactly as she likes them in Saturday's Midway and gunned the opposition down from a rearward position - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

John Sargent clearly recalls the day in 2022 when he and bloodstock consultant Duncan Ramage secured Unique Ambition from the Curraghmore Stud draft at the Karaka Sale. “She was an eye-catching yearling filly who clearly had some growing and developing to do, but there was a heck of a lot to like about her,” John recalled. “Her sire Tavistock needed no introduction. He’d already left Werther, winner of three Gr 1’s in Hong Kong and Tavago winner of the 2014 ATC Derby at Randwick. Her dam Key To Success was unraced but is by the influential Savabeel which probably had something to do with her purchase price getting to NZ $220,000. She’s taken a while to recoup that initial outlay, but Saturday’s win took her to $244,000. She was actually bred by Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock operation which retains a 25% share in the filly we now know as Unique Ambition.”

John Sargent describes Unique Ambition as one good looking mare! Few would disagree - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

John Sargent’s opinion of the filly was reflected in the fact that she actually contested the Gr 1 Flight Stakes as a maiden at only her fourth race start. “She’d run a good second in a two year old race at Randwick in her first preparation, and second again in a Kensington maiden at the start of her next preparation,” said the expat Kiwi trainer. “I then decided to step her up to Gr 2 level in the Tea Rose Stakes and she was a bit disappointing finishing out of a place behind Tiz Invincible. Her attitude and her work was so good over the next couple of weeks that I made the call to back her up in the Gr 1 Flight Stakes. Again, she was a bit plain finishing out of a place. As she went to the paddock I remember thinking that we had a filly who was much better than she was showing.

“Next time in, she won easily second up in a Newcastle Super Maiden over 1200m with Rachel King before missing a place in a couple of Gr 3’s, the P.J. Bell and the James Carr not beaten far in either. We then dropped in grade to see her score a strong win in a 1600m Cl 1 at the Scone carnival with Zac Lloyd up on a Soft 6 track. She was very strong at the end of the mile which prompted me to try her over more ground in the Queensland Oaks. Disappointingly she finished a long way from the winner Socks Nation but was probably coming to the end of it.”

Unique Ambition opens her account with ease at Newcastle 21/03/2024 - Rachel King did the honours - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

John’s hopes received a boost when Unique Ambition returned with a bang in September 2024 to win a Rosehill Midway over 1300m with Blake Shinn on board. She overcame a chequered passage in the straight to easily account for talented horses Alabama State and Monte Kate. Three average runs followed and the trainer had little option but to spell the mare again.

She resumed three months later after two quiet trials but was disappointing in the Gr 2 Sapphire Stakes leaving Sargent scratching his head. Only a few days later the mare was noticeably lame behind, showing very restricted extension in one hind leg at the walk. She underwent a heavy rehabilitation programme over the next two weeks after which John decided on a very long break. Almost eight months passed before Unique Ambition resumed with a barrier trial placing at Randwick. She’d had five starts leading up to Saturday’s Midway without posting a placing, but all five were on metropolitan tracks and one of them in the Gr 2 Guy Walter. She wasn’t very far from the winner in any of them. “Look I’m probably starting to sound monotonous but not one of those races was run to suit her,” said Sargent. ‘She actually led in one of them and that’s definitely a no go. On Saturday you saw what she can do, and how she can do it. You’ve got to leave her alone early and pray for some decent pace. She stormed home over the top of those horses at Randwick. I’m hoping we can keep her in the zone until the Gr 3 Dark Jewel Quality at Scone on May 16th. She’ll go into it nice and fresh and the 1400m will be perfect. All we need is some speed on.”

Zac Lloyd had the ride when Unique Ambition won her CL 1 at Scone 17/05/2024 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Although John’s trademark patience has been necessary to coax optimum performance from this five year old daughter of Tavistock, the Kiwi horseman is universally recognised for his tremendous achievements with three year old staying fillies. His first taste of three year old Gr 1 success in Australia came in 2012 when he brought Quintessential to Brisbane for the Queensland Oaks after three NZ wins. The Fast ‘N’ Famous filly won the Oaks in a breeze with now retired Damian Browne on board before backing up just one week later to beat all but Brambles in the Queensland Derby.

The following year the ever astute Sargent identified another staying prospect for the Victorian Spring Carnival, and once again he got it right. Kirramosa won the Wakeful Stakes with Tommy Berry before backing up to win the Crown Oaks for Nash Rawiller. It’s likely both John and Nash were reminded of Kirramosa when Unique Ambition blitzed the Midway field on Saturday. Just a few months after Kirramosa’s Flemington triumph John added the NZ Oaks to his burgeoning CV when Miss Mossman won by a space at Trentham with Jonathon Parks doing the honours.

“Sarge” is almost certainly best remembered for his 2015 Australian Oaks win with Gust Of Wind beautifully handled by Tye Angland. In strolling home by 2.5 lengths Gust Of Wind became the last horse to claim victory over Winx whose freakish sequence of 33 straight wins would begin a month later.

Gust Of Wind (Tye Angland) became the last horse to defeat Winx when she strolled home in the 2015 Australian Oaks - courtesy Bradley Photographers.

Another talented three year old filly to respond to the Sargent magic was Luvaluva whose 6 wins and 8 placings yielded $850,000 in prize money. Luvaluva won the Wakeful Stakes of 2017 before finishing fourth in the Oaks to Pinot. This daughter of Mastercraftsman returned the following autumn to win the Gr 3 Kembla Classic and the Gr 3 Adrian Knox.

When it comes to the power of observation, plain old gut-feel and simple horse sense, few do it better than John Sargent. The veteran pulls the right rein more often than not. He’s been telling Unique Ambition’s owners for quite some time that they haven’t yet seen the best of their Tavistock mare. We caught a glimpse of what he means in the Midway at Randwick. “Sarge” is hoping a sniff of black type might see the mare hand in a repeat performance at Scone on May 16th especially if they go along a bit!

John Sargent - expat Kiwi who made Sydney his home in 2014 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.