Cover image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Race-day recap
Sunrays (Hellbent) collected another Listed event as she capped off a sensational 2-year-old season with her fifth win in the Listed Show A Heart Stakes at Eagle Farm. The Kelly Schweida-trained filly looks like she could develop into a lovely 3-year-old filly with plenty of scope.
Miss Ole (Ole Kirk) picked up her second win at Flemington, she was tough and fought on strongly, she looks another potential exciting 3-year-old in the making.
Hidden Motive (Capitalist) put his nose down when it counted the most at Randwick; the promising Capitalist colt out of the Group 1 winner Secret Agenda (Not A Single Doubt) will now have a little break now as connections eye up a spring campaign targeted at the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes.
Boombox (Spirit Of Boom) put in a determined finish to win his maiden at Ellerslie at only his second start, with trainer Tony Pike nearly training the trifecta as his runners finished first, second and fourth.
Sunrays ends sensational campaign with fifth win high
Class prevailed in the Listed Show A Heart Stakes at Eagle Farm as the classy filly Sunrays (Hellbent) never gave punters any reason to be anxious, as the talented filly once again got the job done in style.
The Kelly Schweida-trained youngster travelled kindly just off midfield in the 1500-metre contest, and jockey Tommy Berry timed his run to perfection. With a patient ride and plenty in hand, he waited until the 150-metre mark to let her down, and she responded strongly, putting away a brave Jenni Gone Bonkers (Maurice {Jpn}) by just under a length.
The tempo was solid for a group of juveniles tackling the trip for the first time, with North Pole (Farnan) and Meet George (Better Than Ready) ensuring a genuine speed up front, Jenni Gone Bonkers was caught wide throughout but hit the front early in the straight and stuck on gamely, while the well-bred colts Navy Pilot (I Am Invincible) and Providence (Wootton Bassett {GB}) closed off well for third and fourth respectively.
The victory brought Sunrays record to a remarkable five wins from six starts and pushed her earnings beyond $360,000, all in her first racing preparation.
Winning trainer Kelly Schweida clarified that the promising filly has done enough now as a juvenile.
“She’ll be going straight for a spell now, so that was a great way to sign off her prep,” he said. “It was a great win, I don’t think I’ve seen a jockey look more confident than Tommy did.
“He was pretty adamant she would be hard to beat, but she still had to tick the 1500-metre box and also the Eagle Farm box today. She’s just so tough and she’s done it all off her first prep, which is why we elected not to take her to the Group 1 next week (JJ Atkins). She’s done a super job.
“She’s (Sunrays) just so tough and she’s done it all off her first prep, which is why we elected not to take her to the Group 1 next week (JJ Atkins). She’s done a super job.” - Kelly Schweida
“She’s got a gorgeous head on her, she’s got a good body and a great mind. So we think we’ve got a really nice filly going forward.”
There has been some questions on what the quality of horses that Sunrays has been beating but Schweida was diplomatic, “You can only beat what is put in front of you. But if you go back to a previous run, she came home in 34.68s so she can’t be too bad.”
Kelly Schweida
Winning jockey Tommy Berry was equally impressed.
“I was very lucky to pick up the ride when I did. Cejay (Graham) had done a really good job on her before I picked up the ride. She gave me some really good insight into what she was like to ride, so that made things much easier for me.
“She’s a lovely progressive filly, and I still think the best is yet to come with her. You’d love to see her here next week in the Group 1, but I’m not sure the week back-up is the right thing to do with her.”
Berry praised the filly’s physical scope and heart, “That’s probably the best thing about her. If you look at her frame she probably hasn’t filled into it yet. She’s still a bit narrow but there’s nothing wrong with her heart, she had to dig deep today. She didn’t feel as explosive as she had done a couple of weeks ago, so we probably didn’t see her at her best today and she might be on the way down. But it’s very exciting to see what she can do over the spring.”
“That’s probably the best thing about her (Sunrays). If you look at her frame she probably hasn’t filled into it yet. She’s still a bit narrow but there’s nothing wrong with her heart, she had to dig deep today.” - Tommy Berry
Sunrays' sire Hellbent continues to progress nicely at stud. The son of I Am Invincible stands this season at Yarraman Park Stud for $38,500 (inc GST), and has already sired Group 1-winning fillies Benedetta and Magic Time among his growing list of quality performers.
She is the first live foal from her dam Hiccups (Fastnet Rock), an unraced mare with a deep and accomplished pedigree. Her third dam is the outstanding racemare Staging (Success Express {USA}), a 10-time winner including eight stakes victories. Staging also became a top-class broodmare, producing Group 1 performers and sires Duporth, Excites, and Tickets.
Since producing Sunrays, Hiccups has foaled a weanling colt by Written By and is due to foal this spring to King’s Legacy.
Interestingly, Sunrays was withdrawn from Book 2 of the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, an omission that looks more significant with every run she produces on the track.
Miss Ole tough and tenacious down the Flemington straight
Vinery Stud’s first-season sire Ole Kirk's talented daughter Miss Ole added further momentum to her sires record with a tough and professional performance at Flemington on Saturday, notching up her second career victory from just three starts.
Trained by Clinton McDonald, Miss Ole had caught the eye at Sandown on May 24 with a stylish victory from back in the field over Saluted (I Am Immortal) and Espana (Capitalist).
Tackling the iconic Flemington straight for the first time on Saturday, she jumped from the outside gate and quickly put herself in a handy position, sharing the lead with Espana and Cosmic Shower (Peltzer) in a tightly-bunched front line spread across the width of the track where no rider seemed eager to fully commit to leading.
At the clock tower, Espana looked to have the superior turn of foot and appeared poised to reverse the Sandown result, but Miss Ole showed grit and determination to rally late and edge clear by a short neck. The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained debutant Sonofkirk (Ole Kirk) produced an eye-catching run to grab third, adding to the growing list of promising juveniles by his in-form sire.
Trainer Clinton McDonald was pleased with the filly’s performance.
“She was good, she’s a winner, she had to be tough there, and she kept coming and coming. I was confident but the post was coming very quickly,” he said.
“She (Miss Ole) had to be tough there, and she kept coming and coming. I was confident but the post was coming very quickly.” - Clinton McDonald
“Her third run as a 2-year-old and she probably should be three from three. I thought it was a good win. I know Lloyd Kennewell has a good opinion of his horse (Espana) who ran second, and it ran fantastic. I think it will be a good form race, she can go to the paddock now and we’ll look at something in the spring for her.”
McDonald also confirmed that the decision to run down the Flemington straight was part of a longer-term plan.
“Definitely, she has had a look at it now, and obviously she handled it very well,” he said.
“I think we were giving the second horse 2.5 kilos, so a good effort for a filly, but she’s tough and tenacious.
Clinton McDonald | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
"It’s just great, we have a lot of new owners in this horse that have never raced horses before, this is their first horse and that’s what racing is about. They’ve got their kids here and it’s a great experience for them all.”
Miss Ole was a $360,000 purchase by McDonald Racing and Shane McGrath from the Gilgai Farm draft at the 2024 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
She is out of Tune Doubt (Not A Single Doubt), an unraced three-quarter sister to Group 3 winner Jukebox. Her granddam Jestatune (Rory’s Jester) was a Listed winner in Perth and a half-sister to 12-time winner Ihtsahymn (Ihtiram {Ire}), whose career highlight was victory in the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic.
Miss Ole as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Since foaling Miss Ole, Tune Doubt has produced a Dundeel (NZ) colt that sold for $600,000 to Yulong Investments at the 2025 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. She also has a weanling by Written By and missed to Ole Kirk last season, though on the strength of Miss Ole's form, a return visit to the rising star stallion looks an increasingly likely option.
Ole Kirk currently leads Australia’s first-season sires table by winners, stakes winners and earnings, and his 2025 service fee has been increased to $99,000 inc GST.
Hidden Motive puts his nose down when it counts
It was a tale of two halves for the talented Hidden Motive (Capitalist) at Randwick on Saturday, as the Nathan Doyle-trained colt clung on to prevail in a thrilling finish.
The promising youngster enjoyed a perfect run throughout under regular rider Ashley Morgan and looked set to coast to a comfortable win. But just as punters were preparing to collect, Kujenga (King’s Legacy), trained by Annabel and Rob Archibald, stormed down the outside to make it a genuine heart-stopper. She appeared in front both a stride before and a stride after the post, but not where it mattered most. It was Hidden Motive who got the bob in right on the line, with Matima (Lonhro) also flashing late to finish a close-up third in a terrific three-way finish.
The result added another strong performance to Hidden Motive’s tidy juvenile record. A fourth placing on debut in the G3 Breeders’ Plate on debut back in October behind King Kirk (Ole Kirk) marked him as one to watch, and since returning this prep he’s finished second to talented types Aerodrome (Ole Kirk) and Grand Eagle (Farnan), before a dominant near four-length win at Hawkesbury. Saturday’s victory takes his record to two wins and two placings from five starts and just over $165,000 in prizemoney.
Sean Driver of Kurrinda Bloodstock, who co-own Hidden Motive and have enjoyed an exceptional season thanks to Group 1-winning colt Private Harry (Harry Angel {Ire}), admitted the photo finish had everyone on edge.
“Look, to be honest we didn’t think we had got the bob, but he’s a tough horse in conditions that the progeny suggest they don’t love the wet, so he will go home now to our farm in the Hunter Valley for two weeks,” Driver said.
“He is a four or five length better horse than what you have seen today.”
“He (Hidden Motive) is a four or five length better horse than what you have seen today.” - Sean Driver
Looking ahead to the spring, Driver was clear about the target.
“The big aim is the Coolmore, that is our big goal. He will have two weeks off, as you can see he is fourth-up today. He’s a big, burly fella. He will be on a strict diet and be back in two weeks.”
Sean Driver | Image courtesy of Kurrinda Bloodstock
Jockey Ashley Morgan was similarly impressed with the colt’s performance and composure.
I thought it was a very good win. He paraded a lot better than he has been, was very relaxed and switched off. Probably just that first 10 to 50 metres he was a little switched off, I let him roll up and we just fired each other up a little bit, but I thought it was a really good win.”
“I know it was a small margin, but I thought he was entitled to get beat there.”
Hidden Motive is the first foal from Secret Agenda (Not A Single Doubt), a high-class mare who won seven races including the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes. She also claimed three other Group races and a Listed event during a brilliant career. She is a full sister to Stellar Pauline (Not A Single Doubt) who was Group 3-placed, and a half-sister to three other stakes performers: Tutta La Vita (The Autumn Sun), Donandkim (Smart Missile) and Sweetener (Snitzel).
Hidden Motive as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Since producing Hidden Motive, Secret Agenda has left a yearling colt by Home Affairs, a weanling filly by Zoustar, and was served again by Home Affairs before she sadly died in December last year.
Hidden Motive was purchased by Doyle Racing and Kurrinda Bloodstock for $120,000 from the Cressfield draft at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Boombox turns up the noise and takes the prize at Ellerslie
Heading into the juvenile event at Ellerslie on Saturday, it was clear Cambridge trainer Tony Pike held a strong hand. While the well-favoured Pacific Breeze (North Pacific) was the one to beat on paper, Pike’s trio of Boombox (NZ) (Spirit Of Boom), Ashoka (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) and Happy Youmzain (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) shaped as the logical threats.
So it proved, as Boombox resumed in style, taking control of the race and fighting off all challengers to notch his maiden win. The gelding was last seen running a respectable fifth on debut behind his Listed-winning stablemate Lucy In The Sky (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) in February, and that experience clearly served him well.
Although Boombox didn’t get things all his own way, he had to work from a wide barrier to sit outside the leader Ocean Rules (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) through the early stages, he showed determination to take over at the top of the straight and held off a late charge from stablemate Ashoka to win by a head. Pacific Breeze finished off strongly to grab third, narrowly ahead of a game Happy Youmzain, who was caught three wide for much of the run and was just denied in a tight finish, just costing Pike a potential trifecta.
Tony Pike believed race experience proved key for the winner.
“I think the raceday experience of the winner paid off as he (Boombox) put himself up on speed and they didn’t go overly quick,” Pike said.
“Ashoka has come back late and may have got a bit lost when he got out into the clear, while Happy Youmzain didn’t have that much luck as he was three deep and just peaked late. They are three very nice horses going forward.”
Tony Pike | Image courtesy of Nicole Troost
While Pike wasn’t set on where each would head next, he did suggest only one might continue into the winter.
“We will reassess after this, but one of them may stay on for the Ruakaka series, although a couple of them will definitely head to the paddock,” he said.
“I think all three will go on and I do really like the prospects of the second (Ashoka) and fourth (Happy Youmzain) horses looking ahead.”
“I think all three (Boombox, Ashoka and Happy Youmzain) will go on and I do really like the prospects of the second (Ashoka) and fourth (Happy Youmzain) horses looking ahead.” - Tony Pike
Pike was referring to the $60,000 ITM/GIB 2YO Winter Championship Final at Ruakaka later this month, for which all three of his runners are well-placed to qualify should connections choose to continue their preparations.
Boombox was a $50,000 purchase by Jim Bruford of Brewers Bloodstock from the Berkley Stud Book 2 draft at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
Boombox (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
He is the fourth foal out of Viaductress (Sharkbite), a tough and versatile mare who won five races across metropolitan meetings in both Sydney and Queensland. Since foaling Boombox, she has produced a weanling filly by Highly Recommended and was left empty last spring.
