Sudurka wins Super VOBIS Horse of the Year award
By Mark Smith of Racenet 27/07/02

For the second consecutive week trainer Brian Mayfield Smith and Blue Gums Farm stallion Rubiton teamed up to take the out the days feature race. Last week the Mayfield-Smith trained Rubitano led home a Rubiton trifecta in the Listed Sir John Monash Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield. It was the turn of the flying two-year old Rubiton filly Innovation Girl to continue the run with a scintillating display of speed to take out the Group 3 Dermody Stakes at Cheltenham.

Having her first start since tasting defeat for the first time when second in the Veuve Clicquot Stakes (LR) at Caulfield in February, Innovation Girl sped over the 1000m on the officially rated dead track in 57.95, defeating fellow two-year olds Dual Spark (Spartacus) and Presumed Innocent (Danehill) by 2 ½-lengths and 1 ½-lengths respectively.

Innovation Girl took her record to five starts for four wins and a second with earnings of over $175,000. The daughter of Rubiton is the second foal of Bright Gleam (Jugah-Voodoo Gleam by Voodoo Rhythm), a more than useful racemare in South Australia where she won 4 races from 19 starts and was stakes-placed in the SAJC Walter Brown Stakes (LR) and Cinderella Stakes (LR).

Bright Gleam is a three-quarter sister in blood to the grand campaigner Soho Square, winner of 9 of his 51 starts for earnings of $1.46 million. Soho Square’s wins included the AJC Doncaster Handicap (G1), AJC Villiers (G2), AJC Expressway Stakes (G2) and was second to Skating in the Doncaster and filled the same position in the VRC Honda Stakes (G1) and STC George Ryder Stakes (G1)

Innovation Girl’s breeder and part owner, Des Pope, sold Bright Gleam to Les Young’s Doncaster Bloodstock for $30,000 at the William Inglis Mixed Sale at Oaklands in June last year. The daughter of Jugah has produced two full sisters to Innovation Girl and was served by champion first season stallion Strategic last year.

By: Mark Smith - Saturday, 27 July 2002