Personal impresses in Flemington win

Personal picked up well once clear to win by a half-length in the Flemington Event Staff Handicap.

Champion trainer David Hayes has given two-year-old Personal a glowing endorsement after the filly finished strongly to win at Flemington in her second start.

Personal, who finished second to the Snowden Racing-trained filly Fresh on debut at Geelong, was in behind runners at the 300m in Saturday’s Flemington Event Staff Handicap (1100m) before Craig Williams was able to angle out into the clear.

The $4 favourite picked up well once clear to beat Parlophone by a half-length, with a head to third-placed Amateurish.

“I do really think this filly is very, very good,” Hayes said.

Hayes even drew comparisons between Personal and former superstar filly Miss Finland at the same early stages of their careers, and the Lindsay Park co-trainer will consider sending her into the $1.5 million Group One Blue Diamond (1200m) at her next start.

Hayes believes Personal will be better suited over further than a sprint distance, rating her a Thousand Guineas (1600m) prospect in the spring.

But with the Blue Diamond only five weeks away, he indicated Personal had likely earned her chance.

“I think she just invited herself, if you ask me,” Hayes said.

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“A high-pressure race, with a big finish like that. It’s tempting.

“We’ll see how the race pans out as the day goes on. I reckon she ran a pretty good last furlong.

“We’ll just see how she pulls up whether she has a run before it or goes straight in because I do think she’s probably more of a Sires’ Produce Stakes filly than a sprinter. But Miss Finland was a bit that way as well.”

The Hayes-trained Miss Finland went on to finish second in the 2006 Blue Diamond at her third start and won the Golden Slipper.

At age three, she won four Group Ones including the Thousand Guineas, Australian Guineas and VRC Oaks.

“Miss Finland won down the straight (in the Talindert Stakes) at her second run but she also won her first race in a small field at Ballarat,” he said, when asked about the comparison.

“This filly, I think is very similar at the same stage. If she ends up that good? Not many do.

“I don’t think she’s a sprinter.”

Personal is $26 for the Blue Diamond.