Sunlight hungry for more success

Sunlight has no obvious peer as a sprinter in this country but running fast is not the filly’s only talent.

It appears she could also eat for Australia. Just nine days ago, Sunlight burned off the best older and younger sprinters the country has to offer in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington but since that blistering performance the filly has been indulging in her other great love.

"I came into Melbourne yesterday and went to the stable and had a look at her and she looked like she’d been to the bakery again," trainer Tony McEvoy said after she had galloped at The Valley on Monday morning.

"She’s always been very gross and haven’t been given her long spells, because I’d never get her back."

WATCH: Sunlight's Newmarket win

McEvoy planned the Valley gallop for his filly as he knew she would be in need of a relatively hard gallop despite winning a Newmarket a little over a week ago.

"She looked so full and so well and you wouldn’t know she had a big contest last week so we gave her a bit of work today.

"Luke (Currie) said she needed it. She had a good blow and then recovered very well," McEvoy said before adding that Currie would regain the ride on Sunlight in the William Reid. 

Her ability to put on weight has always been part of the make-up of Sunlight, who took her record to 14 starts for nine wins and earnings of more than $3.8 million after her Newmarket performance.

"She’s always been the same and that’s why I’ve always felt I’ve had to give her a contest a week before her grand finals because I don’t feel I could do enough at trackwork.

"She just doesn’t use herself well enough at trackwork, so that’s why she’s had the seven-day back-ups."

Sunlight is the short-priced favourite to add the Group 1 William Reid Stakes to her remarkable record on Friday night and given the filly’s only outing at the track resulted in a disappointing seventh placing in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes in October, McEvoy was keen to let her run around the track again.

"She came here a couple of times before the Manikato and she was effective," McEvoy said.

"She just had a horror night that night and I just wanted her to come back here and just have a nice morning and that’s what she did.

"She’s lovely and bright and walking around and really enjoying the morning."

Sunlight will progress from the William Reid to Sydney for the T J Smith Stakes but the trainer said if Sydney’s tracks were water-logged in April, he would consider sending Sunlight to the pair of Group 1 sprints in Adelaide – the Robert Sangster Stakes and Goodwood in May.

Sunlight will not be McEvoy’s only chance on Friday night to take home a wad of cash as he also has the flying Desert Lashes set to contest the final 55-second challenge race over the 955-metres at The Valley.

Currently, Logan McGill’s sprinter Written Choice leads the series with a win in a time of 54.77 seconds but McEvoy said he was hopeful Desert Lashes could give the current record a shake and potentially earn him $55,000.

"She’s had a little trial at home and she was very fast in the trial," he said.

"Fresh up, she strode around here beautifully this morning. She’s very fast, very quick."

McEvoy said he planned for Desert Lashes to also peak in time for the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes in Adelaide in May.