PEACHES AND CREAM

Oh so close! In a sizzling display at Ascot on Saturday (24 April), Peach Tree became Bel Esprit’s 14th stakes horse but went within a whisker of becoming his 10th stakes winner.
Racing in the $75,000 Matchmaker Classic-LR over 1400m, Peach Tree led them for home and looked home for all money before tying up over the final 50m, allowing Scenic Fair to get up on the line.
The west is doing Peach Tree the world of good however and despite failing to crack it for a win when based at Caulfield (although she did run four placings from five starts), the filly hasn’t looked back since joining the stables of Mark Reed.
Dead heating for first at Ascot at the end of March, Peach Tree then ran third, won in her own right at Ascot and is now stakes placed.
Capital black type isn’t far off.
Bred by Barree Stud, Peach Tree is out of the Naturalism mare, Georgia.
But while Peach Tree failed in the last stride at Ascot, another Bel Esprit 3YO in Striding Success had no such problems at Morphettville yesterday (25 April), cruising to victory in the Beersheba Handicap over 1000m.
Bred by Tucketts Road Holdings Pty Ltd and sold to Trevor Dansie for $27,000 through Eliza Park’s 2008 Adelaide Magic Millions draft, Striding Success has only once been out of the money in six starts, winning his debut at Balaklava and following up with two victories at Morphettville.
Out of the 5-time winning Snippets mare, La Bella Zaccola, this is also the family of Demus, Innocent Affair, Viking Legend, Innocent Gamble and co.
He also continues the great run of Bel Esprit with Snippets’ mares: six winners from seven runners including stakes winner Vivacious Spirit.