Six-month plan reaches Group 1 moment for Sargent filly

Before John Sargent put Global Goal on the truck before her first start at Wagga in May, he was thinking about Saturday’s Flight Stakes.

“You know when you have a good one, and you have to have a plan,” Sargent said. “She is very well bred, and even though she had only had one trial, we knew what we had before she went and won there.

“I knew it would be that run and back for these races, and we wouldn’t see the best of her until the mile in the Flight Stakes.”

Global Goal would win the Inglis Bonus Maiden at Wagga as a $7 chance before being sent for a break with the Princess Series in mind.

And Sargent’s thoughts haven’t changed after she attacked the line from back in the field as a $14 hope for a well-beaten third behind flying Pembrey in the Silver Shadow Stakes.

“That was exactly what you wanted to see from her at 1200m,” Sargent said. “And she has kept improving the longer she has been in work.”

Global Goal waited a month for the Tea Rose Stakes and again got home late for third behind Bangkok Hottie and Striking Alibi, her main rivals in the Group 1 on Saturday.

The slow pace of that race counted against her and was probably why she started at $7.50.

“That is the main concern on Saturday again with the small field that they will sit up and just sprint home again,” Sargent said. “She is the only one out of those three fillies that is a miler, and we want speed and pressure to make it a bit of a test

“But it’s the race we have planned for, for six months, and it’s the best she has been.”

It is probably why Global Goal will start the shortest price of her career as a $3.10 second pick in betting behind Striking Alibi ($2.80).

“She is only a slight filly, and we decided to have a trial between the 1200m first-up and the 1400m, where she was much better again, and I think she will be better again on Saturday.

“I would love pressure in the race from a long way out because it would suit her better than anything else in the race.”