SUGAR Pie was backed to the exclusion of her thirteen rivals in a MR73 Handicap over 1600m at Clairwood on Sunday and she got the job done for a host of horseplayers, albeit narrowly.

At this time of the year, three-year-olds have to be better than average to win against older horses in handicap company, but Sugar Pie’s supporters had set this concern aside. When the betting opened, bookmakers had the young filly briefly priced up at  a 22-10 but this was quickly adjusted to shorter. The brave betting brigade snapped up all quotes to 14-10 and then barged through evens into the red.

Sugar Pie (far side, Anthony Delpech), got there by a whisker from Finding Neverland (Glen Hatt).

The exotic players employed Sugar Pie’s race card number as a banker when they marked their respective exotic permutations, willing to sweat with the strike bettors for their trust in this lightly-raced three-year-old.  There were indeed some nail-biting moments in a driving finish because Sugar Pie had the five-year-old mare Finding Neverland alongside her and the 20-1 outsider had her eye on the same prize.

It was touch and go. Anthony Delpech had to keep Sugar Pie focused and she showed guts holding Glen Hatt’s mount at bay. The close call went to a judge’s photo and Sugar Pie was declared the winner, to the relief of many.

Sugar Pie is by Kildonan, enjoying a promising start to his career at stud, from the well-related Brazilian-bred mare, Baby It’s You, whose previous daughters include the Listed winner Treaj Potts (by Rich Man’s Gold) and Gr2 Gold Circle Oaks winner Sweetie Pie.

Sugar Pie is showing the right credentials early and she looks to have the scope to train on like her siblings.  The chestnut and her dam are owned in partnership by Mary Slack and Fazenda Mondesir (BRZ).  Baby It’s You stands at Slack’s Wilgerbosdrift Stud.