Forensics Continues to Dominate

If Weekend Hussler is the best 3-year-old in Australia, then Forensics is the best 3-year-old filly and probably the second best sophomore -- period.

She just keeps turning up and winning group I events and doing it with ridiculous ease.

Her record now is six wins from 11 starts and purse money of Aus$3,100,000 following her stunning come-from-behind win in the group I Queen Of The Turf Stakes at Canterbury Park in Sydney on April 5.

The race was worth Aus$400,000 (about U.S.$378,000) and run just on a few meters less than a mile on turf. The intelligently named Forensics (Flying Spur-Prove It) was one of three younger horses in the field, but her paralyzing finishing burst to swamp 4-year-old mare Perfect Drop (Quest For Fame-Dane Vintage) and Occurence (Choisir-Happens) was simply breathtaking. She ran a track record and is now unbeaten in three runs since resuming from a long spell. On top of everything else, she was her new trainer Peter Snowden's first group I winner as a solo trainer.

Danny Nikolic rode her to victory and although he looked in trouble coming to the home bend being back in eighth spot on the rails, he did very well to get the former group I winning champion 2-year-old and Gold Slipper winner into clear running space. When he did, she accelerated and won running away by a length. She has two more group I races lined up over the next three weeks and looks a great danger in both now that she has settled into this rich vein of form.

Snowden, who will continue to handle the filly when he takes over the reins of the Woodlands' horses for Darley next month, told of his desire to run Forensics in the group I Coolmore Classic on Golden Slipper day later this month before a decision is made on the filly taking her place in the $1 million Doncaster Handicap field. That is the day she will clash with Weekend Hussler.

“The Coolmore looks a lovely race for her and the 1500 meters ( 7 1/2 furlongs) at Rosehill will be ideal,” said Snowden. “The Doncaster is only a week after the Coolmore and I’ll do the right thing by the horse -- so saying that,  if she warrants a run we will, if not we won’t. This preparation she has just gone from strength to strength and I’m just so lucky to have her.”

Darren Beadman, who flew in from his base in Hong Kong to ride at the meeting and who rode the third place-getter Occurrence, was fined $500 by stewards after returning 1kg overweight after the race.

"Which was a shame because her strength at this stage of her life isn't quite up to this level. At handicap grade she would get less weight and be very hard to beat," said Beadman. Bart Cummings trains Occurence, a filly on the rise.