Odds-on punters had palpitations before $1.65 favourite Secret Scandal scraped in first-up at Belmont on Wednesday.

Secret Scandal (3f Scandal Keeper – Espresso by Bletchingly) was nearly blind-sided by Amusement Park in the final few strides of the Jesse Jacobs For Cannington Hcp (1000m).  “She only had one trial coming in so had to dig deep,” trainer Dan Morton said.  “We earmarked her as a quality filly early on and I’m sure there will be some nice races for her during the summer carnival.”

The Scandal Keeper filly was resuming after a productive two year-old campaign that commenced with a debut victory at Ascot in February.  She followed up with a third in the LR Supremacy Stakes and a fourth in the LR Gimcrack Stakes before being caught late in the G2 Karrakatta Plate.

“There was a lot of merit in that win,” Morton added.  “She was racing against older mares and had to really tough it out.”

Secret Scandal is a daughter of Yarradale Stud sire Scandal Keeper from Brisbane stakes performer Espresso.  Her second dam Mapperley Heights (Sir Tristram) was a G1 winner of the 1984 South Australian Derby.

Yarradale owner Ron Sayers retained an interest in the filly after she made $34,000 at the 2011 Yarradale Stud yearling sale.  Sayers had purchased Scandal Keeper from Darley in 2008 and he heard the Belmont result while on his annual tour of the Hunter Valley.

Scandal Keeper (Danzig) was booked out for 2012 when Yarradale offered him for a $6,600 service fee.