Promising filly Socially Sassy, trained by Tony Noonan, has Mornington Peninsula community groups spoiling for a Sandown upset

Socially Sassy has Mornington Peninsula retirement villages, Frankston RSL and even tax men in raptures for her Sandown test on Saturday.

Socially Sassy has Mornington Peninsula retirement villages, the Frankston RSL and even tax men in raptures for her Sandown test on Saturday.

The promising filly, bought for $3000 on behalf of lessor Kris Gorrie and sent to trainer Tony Noonan to race with community-driven syndicates, has already banked $19,000 prizemoney in two starts.

About 90 of Socially Sassy’s 200-strong owners, including Beleura Turf Club, Martha Bay, TAB Crew Heroes and We Own The Ears, cheered a last start Mornington victory.

Noonan started Social Syndicates more than five years ago to share his love for horses and racing with community groups and clubs.

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The model has produced three city winners, Dazzling Lucy, racing on Saturday in Sydney, Annarbor and Beatrix from about 12 starters.

It is hoped Socially Sassy, a $17 chance with TAB on Saturday, could become the next metro winner.

Batrana ($3.80) is favourite for the 1300m Benchmark 70 Fillies Handicap from Miss Roumbini ($7), Herecomesthestar ($7.50), Flying Fizz ($8) and Paradise City ($8.50).

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Lucky owners of Socially Sassy at Mornington. Picture: Pat Scala/Racing Photos via Getty Images

Social Syndicates manager John Mathieson said Socially Sassy’s presence would be felt on and off the track with a vocal cheer squad.

“When she won at Mornington the other day … we lifted the roof off,” Mathieson said.

“That won’t be her last win the other day, without knowing how high she’ll get… she wasn’t really set for that race, she’s going for long trips and she reeled them in pretty impressively.”

Beleura Village Mornington has about 10 syndicates in a range of Noonan horses, three in Socially Sassy.

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Martha Bay Village also has multiple syndicates for their residents, one in Socially Sassy.

We Own The Ears is a group of friends from the “tax office”, while the TAB Crew Heroes, “first to arrive at the course and last to leave”, hail from Frankston RSL.

One of Noonan’s staff, a strapper who liked Socially Sassy when she arrived in the stable, got friends and members of an Adelaide Crows Facebook fan page involved under the Tins And Wins banner.

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The training fees — based on a syndicate of 20 for 10 per cent share — are $300 per person a year, or $25-a-month.

“Beleura has probably got 100 people involved in our horses, they’re fantastic and organised like a corporation,” Mathieson said.

“It’s like joining the bridge club or the bowls club, they (residents) join the Beleura Turf Club. A lot of our people live on the Mornington Peninsula so Tony will try and run them at Mornington until they get too good for that.

“It’s always a bit of a lottery (horse ownership), if you’re in this one you’ll be happy... it’s our belief she’s a city horse.”

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Originally published as Promising filly Socially Sassy, trained by Tony Noonan, has Mornington Peninsula community groups spoiling for a Sandown upset