Debutant three-year-old filly Salizou announced herself as a horse to follow with a commanding victory in the 1100-metre maiden at Stawell, producing a dazzling display first time at the races.

Ridden by Dean Yendall, who rides the tracks in Western Victoria as good as any, Salizou showed good gate speed and was able to hold the one out one back position in running. When asked to quicken in the straight, she quickly put the result beyond doubt, powering away from her rivals to score in dominant fashion.

Purchased at the 2024 Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Salizou is another of the exciting three-year-old crop for the Mitch Freedman Racing team, including the likes of fellow debutant winner Savitri and Asakura, who finished second on debut and is not far away from returning to the races.

Freedman said “We had a couple of false starts with races called off and bad barriers, but it was a great thrill to see her perform well on debut. She is a filly with good talent, and we are confident she is going to keep improving with maturity on her side.”

Salizou proudly carries the Halo Racing silks and delivered an immediate return for her connections, with a number of first-time owners involved in this filly – congratulations to all involved! She will head off for a break now and we look forward to seeing her back in the stable for her winter preparation.