Juvenile Summary: Hayes boys shine with the 2-year-olds

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Etherium Girl claims Group glory in the Sires'

It was the Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained Ethereum Girl (Maurice {Jpn}) who claimed success in the G3 South Australian Sires’ Produce Stakes.

The win capped off a fantastic day with the juveniles for the Hayes training team, and their 250th win across New Zealand and Australia for the season, following an earlier triumph with their star colt Shining Smile (Spirit Of Boom) at Flemington.

Starting as a well-backed favourite after a strong second behind Matahga (NZ) (Tivaci) at Listed level on the same track in late June, Etherium Girl travelled up to her opposition with ease, and then held them off late by just under half a length. She defeated Mostly For Show (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}), while Tiptop Tori (Grunt {NZ}) ran on nicely for third, Bootlegger (Too Darn Hot {GB}) was brave in fourth, sticking on well after being trapped wide on the pace.

Ethereum Girl's jockey Jason Holder was very happy with the effort and explained how his main instruction was to get her to settle in running.

“I didn't ride her last start, but (today) was a nice win. She settled really nicely which was great, Ben and the crew will be happy with that,” he said.

“I probably got there a bit too soon, but I presented her and she said let's go. She pulled her way into it, which is good, she's got room for improvement for sure.”

Sales Information: Ethereum Girl was purchased by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock for $275,000, from the draft of Glenbeigh Farm at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Pedigree Information: Ethereum Girl is the third foal out of Moonchild (Charge Forward), who was unraced, but is proving to be a quality broodmare. All three of her runners to date are winners, including two stakes winners. Among them is Dream Of The Moon (All Too Hard), a three-time winner in New Zealand including in the Listed Inglewood Stakes.

Ethereum Girl's grandam, Flowerchild (Redoute’s Choice), was Listed placed on the track, and further back in the pedigree features the Champion Northerly (Serheed {USA}), as well as the $10 million earner and dual Group 1 winner Overpass (Vancouver).

Shining Smile simply just a winner

Shining Smile (Spirit of Boom) extended his record to an outstanding five wins, all in succession, and two placings from just seven starts, with a tenacious victory over 1000 metres at Flemington on Saturday, resuming from a short break.

The colt, trained by Ben, Will and JD Hayes, carried 59.5kg after Logan Bate’s 3kg claim and although he raced a touch fresh early as he shared the speed with Yamashita’s Gold (Wootton Bassett {GB}), this talented gelding knows how to win. This win built on his record this season where he has already secured three Listed wins and a Group 3 placing.

Co-trainer Ben Hayes commented:

“He’s done a great job today because he carried big weight compared to all his opposition, and to be as tough as he is through the line is just really exciting, very exciting for Victor, it’s a horse he bought as a weanling.

“He is arguably the best-performed 2-year-old for the whole year, albeit not in the big races, although he has won three stakes races. He has an exciting future ahead of him, and this will tick him off beautifully to head to those really good early 3-year-old races like the Vain.

“He is a tough horse, he loves a fight and we are really looking forward to seeing what he has got, he has a pretty good record down the straight, so he could be a horse that could go in a race like the Coolmore, he’s got to be right in a race like that.”

Sales Information: Shining Smile was a $160,000 purchase for Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA), from the Robyn Wise draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale.

Pedigree Notes: Bred by Group 1 Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Scott Seamer, he is the best of four winners from Nataya Rose (Canny Lad), an unraced half-sister to stakes-placed Gold Anthem (Made of Gold), the dam of Champion Sprinter and Group 1 producing sire Starspangledbanner, as well as the granddam of Group 1 winner Amicus (Fastnet Rock).

Since producing Shining Smile, Nataya Rose has produced a yearling colt by Zousain that sold for $80,000 at Inglis Classic this year to YLP Racing, she has a weanling colt by Profiteer, and is due to foal to Pinatubo (Ire) in late September this year.

Arcora shows his stamina in The Byerley and earns a spot in the Derby

The promising Justify (USA) gelding Arcora had grown tired of chasing the tail of Buccleuch (Peltzer) in recent outings, having placed behind him twice. But with Buccleuch not taking his place in the time-honoured Byerley Handicap for juveniles over 1800 metres, it was Arcora’s time to shine, and he seized the moment, scoring a well-deserved victory.

Jockey John Allen positioned Arcora in second early, with Bermondsey (Hanseatic) setting a muddling pace and Bayou Music (Street Boss {USA}) settling in behind. The race pattern barely shifted until Arcora took over approaching the clock tower as Bermondsey began to weaken. In contrast, Bayou Music took time to find clear running but flashed home late for a strong second, Arabian Prince (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) made a highly encouraging debut, charging home from the back to run third and potentially announcing himself as a 3-year-old stayer to watch next season.

With this win, Arcora secures an automatic berth in the G1 Victoria Derby later this year, a race his trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young always like targeting, and a race they have tasted success in with Sangster (NZ) (Savabeel).

“That was about as close as we wanted him to be in the run, but obviously a 2-year-old stepping up to that trip the first time, there's never going to be any tempo, but also knowing the horse, you can't really lead on him as he floats,” said stable representative Sam Griggs.

“I reckon he had more to give there, and he was holding them well enough on the line so it’s just terrific to get the result for a great group of owners, including Brian Rutter and Max Whitby and their mates.

“I thought after his first-up run over 1400 metres, I said to Trent and Natalie, He's the Derby horse, he's just got so much improvement ahead of him and he’s done the job today.

"It's just nice to tick the box, and it will do him the world of good to get his head down in front because he's been going close and he got the killer blow in today.”

Sales Information: Arcora was purchased by Busuttin Racing for $225,000 from the draft of Coolmore Stud at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Pedigree Notes: Arcora is the second live foal out of Casuarina Forest (Fastnet Rock), an unraced full sister to Group 1 winner and sire Foxwedge, and Listed winner She’s A Fox (Fastnet Rock).

Casuarina Forest’s first foal is Foxy Cleopatra (American Pharoah {USA}), a winner and five-time Group and Listed placegetter. Other stakes-winning members of this family include Bank Maur (Maurice {Jpn}), Namesake (Maurice {Jpn}), and Lilac (Justify {USA}).

Since producing Arcora, Casuarina Forest has had a yearling filly by St Mark’s Basilica (Fr), and was served by Justify in America to Southern Hemisphere time. She is due to foal early next month.

Without Peer dominant on debut at Rosehill

It was a swoopers’ race in the opener at Rosehill Gardens in the 2-year-old Handicap, and it was the Ciaron Maher-trained debutant Without Peer (Pierata) who finished too strongly for his rivals in the hands of Chad Schofield.

From the back of the field, Without Peer surged late to overpower Spice Prawn (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Reflect (So You Think {NZ}), who also made good ground from off the speed, but couldn’t match the winner’s turn of foot.

“He just won today on pure, raw ability so that's very exciting going forward because I think he's got a stack of improvement,” Schofield said.

“My instructions were to let him balance up, travel, and I was told he'd be very strong late. When he quickened as well as he did with me early in the straight, I was very confident.”

Maher’s Sydney assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord was pleasantly surprised by the performance, noting the colt would head into the new racing season with plenty of upside.

“It's that time of the year where you have to. He is still furnishing so we'll give him a bit of time between runs and he will just keep improving,” Gerard-Dubord said.

“I didn't think he was going to win today. I thought he'd be strong late and improve a lot off the back of that. He's got a lot of maturing to do physically and mentally so that's a bonus today.”

Gallery: Images courtesy of Georgia Young Photography

Sales Information: Without Peer was purchased by Triple Crown Syndications for $120,000 from the draft of Twin Hills Stud at the 2024 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

Pedigree Notes: Without Peer is the fifth foal out of Alderney (High Chaparral {Ire}), who was placed on the track and is well-related. Alderney is a full sister to Ballet Suite (High Chaparral {Ire}), winner of the Listed Princess Stakes, and placed in the Group 3 Tesio Stakes, as well as running fourth in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes.

She is also a half-sister to Casquets (Fastnet Rock), a Listed winner, along with the Group-placed pair Furiosa (Fastnet Rock) and Marensky Reef (Platinum Scissors).

Since producing Without Peer, Alderney has left a yearling colt by St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) before she sadly died earlier this year.