David Loughane has described Sparks Fly as a “revelation”, after the filly banked her sixth win on the bounce at Ayr.
The three-year-old, who is owned and was bred by David Lowe, began her term with a string of beaten runs on the all-weather – but has not looked back since switching to turf in April.
Her debut on grass came in a one-mile Windsor handicap and she has won each start since, taking six successive contests by decisive margins and seeing her mark rise from 59 to 93.
Her most recent victory came at Ayr on Sunday in the Book Bounce Bingo At Ayr Racecourse Handicap, a mile event she won by a length and a quarter under Laura Pearson as the 5-2 favourite.
Her mark will not be revised until next week, giving Loughnane a chance to target a seventh consecutive handicap victory before a step up in grade, possibly in the Lyrics Stakes at York.
“She’s been a revelation this year really,” he said.
“Whether it was a case of her not handling the all-weather or whether she was just very raw and weak when we started her off, she’s just taken a bit of time.
“She’s just thrived with each race and as the season goes on she seems to get bigger and stronger with each run. I think it’s a combination of things coming together.
“Every time she’s won, she’s won well. Laura only gave her two flicks and she won with her ears pricked, visually it certainly looks like there’s more to come.
“We’ve got a few options, with her running on Sunday we’ve got a week and a bit before the handicapper reassesses her so we can get in one more.”
On options beyond handicaps, he said: “There’s a mile-and-a-quarter fillies’ Listed race at York on the 28th (the Lyric Stakes). She’s certainly going to be heading in that direction and as the season goes on there are quite a few options in France for three-year-old fillies.”
Sparks Fly is by Muhaarar and out of Stepping Out, a broodmare who has produced the four-time winner Baby Steps and the Group-placed Caroline Dale.
Loughnane, who has trained all of the progeny for Lowe, said: “She’s been a very good broodmare, their first homebred was Baby Steps who was a multiple winner from two to six and the second was Caroline Dale, third in the Queen Mary.
“This is the third one to hit the track and she’s been great.”
