3 minute read
Not A Single Doubt filly Qafila scored a breakthrough Group One success when she thumped the males winning the South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
The outstanding 3YO hit the front at the top of the straight and raced clear for a barnstorming three and a half length success.
A $450,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase for Shadwell Stud, Qafila was able to notch a deserved big race success after an unlucky run in last Saturday's Australasian Oaks at the same track over 2000 metres.Qafila has raced in stakes races in all but one of her career starts after starting her racing life with an impressive win in the Listed Debutant Stakes at Caulfield as an early two-year-old.
The filly raced in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes and G1 Golden Slipper as a 2YO while this season she won the G2 Angus Armanasco Stakes.Her Derby win provided the powerful Lindsay Park training team of David Hayes, son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig with another classic success.
It was the second Group One win for jockey Cory Parish after his success in a Caulfield Cup aboard Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale graduate Boom Time for the Lindsay Park team."Qafila deserves this Group One," co-trainer Ben Hayes said. "She's been competing at this high level for her whole career and it's fantastic to get the win for Shadwell."
"They're our biggest supporter so to get a Group One for Shadwell is a huge thrill for me - and I'm so thrilled for Qafila, it makes her very valuable now.""She's pulled up out of this race so fantastic - she's hardly had a blow. She's done such a huge job."
Qafila, a daughter of Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate Not a Single Doubt, was bred by Woodpark Stud and is the first Australian G1 winner bred from their Mittagong property.The filly was sold at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Attunga Stud, as agent for Woodpark, where she caught the eye of Shadwell's Angus Gold who went to $450,000 to secure her.
The 10th individual Group One winner for Arrowfield Stud's superstar sire Not a Single Doubt, Qafila is the first runner for the classy grey Tapit mare Zighy Bay.Zighy Bay was placed in France and is a three quarter sister to American Group winner Sacristy and half sister to the Japanese Group winner Mozu Superflare.
International G1 winners in her pedigree include Jersey Girl, Purge and Jersey Town while it's also the family of Australian based stakes winning sire St. Petersburg.Qafila is his second new Group 1 winner this season for Not A Single Doubt after Kenedna’s ATC Queen of the Turf victory last month, and his tally of 13 stakeswinners is bettered only by record breaker I Am Invincible.
His other notable stakes winners this season include Champagne Cuddles. Classique Legend, Dubious and Samizdat.With $9.6 million prizemoney, Not A Single Doubt holds fifth spot on the General Sires’ Premiership and is closing on his fourth consecutive $10 million+ season.
Saturday's G2 Champagne Classic at Doomben saw an impressive return from Magic Millions 2YO Classic runner-up Dubious (Not A Single Doubt-Suspicieuse).Raced entirely by a syndicate of women, Dubious was a $350,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy from Kitchwin Hills who will present his Foxwedge half brother at the upcoming National Weanling Sale.
Aquis Farm’s 2YO colt Dubious is proving a highly professional competitor, winning the ATC Breeders’ Plate G3 on debut last September, before a Queensland campaign that produced a win and a fine second to Exhilarates in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic RLR.Dubious is one of 22 2YO stakeswinners by Not A Single Doubt and has now bounced back from an unplaced Golden Slipper run to claim a Group 2 win in dominant fashion.
Dubious, out of the French-bred mare Suspicieuse (by Elusive City), was bred by Chesapeake Thoroughbreds & Winton Bloodstock and offered by Kitchwin Hills at the Magic Millions Sale where Aquis Farm & Ciaron Maher paid $350,000 for him.Dubious has already repaid them handsomely with earnings of $1,015,150.
Qafila capped what was a resounding day for graduates of Magic Millions sales around Australia.• She Shao Fly (Epaulette-Shao Shao) started the streak when she scored a valuable win in the Group Three SAJC Sires' Produce Stakes at Morphettville for trainer Tony McEvoy.
The filly was a $67,500 Adelaide Yearling Sale buy for Bennett Racing and McEvoy Mitchell Racing from Ambergate Farm. She Shao Fly's dam is catalogued for the upcoming National Broodmare Sale by Evergreen Stud Farm.• Adelaide Yearling Sale buy Vega One (Lope de Vega-One Funny Honey) was an impressive stakes winner when he raced away from his rivals in the listed Queensland Day Plate at Doomben.
The Tony Gollan trained three-year-old was a $75,000 buy from Stockwell Thoroughbreds in 2017.• Ready To Prophet (Smart Missile-Ready to Live), a $40,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy for Dynamic Syndications from Torryburn Stud in 2017, scored a valuable win for her large lady ownership group when she scored a strong fresh win in the listed Denise's Joy at Scone.
The win was the second in six starts for the filly, but importantly her first at black type level.• Smart Missile posted a stakes double when his youngster Missile Mantra (ex Wecansay Mak) extended her unbeaten run to two with an impressive win in the listed Vale Redoute's Choice Stakes at Caulfield.
It was a fitting result for the Snowden trained two-year-old considering she was a $30,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale buy last year for Triple Crown Syndications from Arrowfield Stud, the long time home of the champion sire who the race was named as a tribute to his recent passing.