Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos
Value can be found in every corner of the bloodstock market, but identifying the right horse is what separates the best judges from the rest. Lindsay Park is starting to build a current record sourcing quality performers through the Horses In Training and Ready To Race sales, and Stars Of Dom is quickly shaping as another success story.
Purchased for $80,000 at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Horses In Training Sale, the daughter of Exceedance has already banked $137,500 in prizemoney, added a metropolitan victory to her record and appears to have an exciting future ahead, particularly after showcasing her liking for the Flemington straight.
Reward for consistency
Stars Of Dom (Exceedance) broke through to gain a much desrrved first career victory at Flemington in the opener down the straight last Saturday, leading home a stable quinella with Resolutely (Hellbent).
Stars Of Dom went into the race after successive runner-up finishes at Sandown Hillside behind promising youngsters Divine Dot (Overshare) and Mbube (Rubick), form that looked strong, and so it proved.
Leading jockey Craig Williams was content to settle Stars Of Dom just behind the speed before presenting at the furlong, where she quickly asserted to score by three-quarters of a length. Resolutely fought on well to complete the stable quinella, while Put To The Sword (NZ) (Sword Of State) produced an eye-catching debut to finish third.
Will Hayes said the filly's performance reflected the progression she had shown throughout her preparation and praised Williams' judgement and class in the saddle.
“She was certainly ready for a testing 1200 metres, and I thought it was a great ride by Craig (Williams),” Co-trainer Will Hayes said.
“She (Stars Of Dom) was certainly ready for a testing 1200 metres, and I thought it was a great ride by Craig (Williams).” - Will Hayes
“She was impressive. It's always nice to have Craig Williams aboard in July, she’s done nothing but please us really the whole time she has been in work.
“She can be a little bit tricky. He summed the race up well, and, yeah, I think her best work was through the line, so she's done a good job.”
Craig Williams | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Another smart Horses In Training purchase
The Lindsay Park team this season has enjoyed significant success sourcing horses through Ready To Race and Horses In Training sales, while continuing to cast the net across all of Australasia's sales.
Stars Of Dom may well have slipped under the radar of many buyers after originally being passed in short of her modest $35,000 reserve when offered by Baramul Stud at the 2025 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
She returned to the ring just months later through the Baramul Stud draft at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Horses In Training Sale, where Lindsay Park secured her for $80,000 - a purchase that is already looking increasingly astute.
Video: Stars Of Dom breeze up video, video courtesy of Magic Millions
Hayes said the stable was immediately taken by what the filly showed during the breeze-ups and believes she has continued to improve since arriving at Lindsay Park.
“We bought her from the Gold Coast Horses and Training Sale and we were really taken by her breeze-up. I thought she was a horse that did it all on her ability with nice upside, we picked her up at good value and as soon as we put her in our system, she really has gone from strength to strength.
“We bought her (Stars Of Dom) from the Gold Coast Horses and Training Sale and we were really taken by her breeze-up.” - Will Hayes
“So it's a credit to the team and obviously the horse who has that high natural level of ability.”
Will Hayes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
While Stars Of Dom is the latest success story, Hayes said the stable has never specifically targeted the sale format, but instead remains committed to identifying horses that represent genuine value at any sales.
“It's kind of the way it has worked out, not specifically targeted, but we do like them, we do watch horses gallop every day, so we do like looking at the breeze-ups and seeing if there is an opportunity there.
“There's always a chance you can find value and a good galloper and we're just glad that we've got it right a couple of times now.”
“There's always a chance you can find value and a good galloper and we're just glad that we've got it right a couple of times now.” - Will Hayes
Another recent example is the stables fellow 2-year-old Hard Kick (All Too Hard), who was purchased for $140,000 from the Hannover Lodge draft at the 2025 Inglis Sydney Ready To Race Sale before making an immediate impact by winning the Listed Talindert Stakes on debut in February.
Hard Kick | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Hard Kick is expected to resume at Flemington later in the season, where he will look to maintain his unbeaten record.
Speed backed by pedigree
Stars Of Dom is a daughter of Vinery Stud's Exceedance who will stand at a fee of $22,000 (inc. GST) this spring. Exceedance is the sire of six individual stakes winners, five at Group level, as well as another six stakes performers.
Exceedance | Standing at Vinery Stud
Stars Of Dom is one of seven winners and the final foal out of the talented Rose Of Sharon (Encosta De Lago), a winner over 1250 metres who also placed in the G1 Queensland Oaks and at Listed level on three occasions.
Rose Of Sharon is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Lotteria (Redoute's Choice), while the extended family also includes G3 Manawatu Cup winner Marroni (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) and Singapore Champion 3-year-old The Inferno (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).
Rose Of Sharon | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Hayes admitted the stable initially expected the filly's pedigree to point towards a horse that would appreciate further, making her early sprinting success an unexpected bonus.
“Our first thoughts when we bought her was that she breezed up like a nice 3-year-old miler and that's what her pedigree probably suggests, so the fact that she has shown so much speed has been a massive bonus.”
Spring options beginning to emerge
While Stars Of Dom has already displayed plenty of natural speed, Hayes believes her racing manners continue to improve and that should eventually allow her to stretch out in distance.
For now, the stable is happy to remain patient, knowing there are several attractive black-type targets available regardless of which path they ultimately choose.
“We do think at the moment she still does get a little bit aggressive in the early parts of her races and that's why we've stuck to the sprinting trips. But with how far she's come in her mannerisms, we think that she'll get out to a mile, no problems once she learns a bit more and settles that touch better early on.”
Rather than locking in one campaign, Hayes said the stable will allow the filly to dictate her own program as she continues to mature.
“We will keep plans flexible, and monitor her (Stars Of Dom) out of each run, there's obviously the early 3-year-old race like the Quezette, or we can be a little bit more patient and target races like the William Crockett and the Red Roses down the straight in Cup Week.” - Will Hayes
“We will keep plans flexible, and monitor her out of each run, there's obviously the early 3-year-old race like the Quezette, or we can be a little bit more patient and target races like the William Crockett and the Red Roses down the straight in Cup Week. They're two very good options that lead into prominent springtime races.
“I don't think she'll be out of place that time of year and it's quite frankly a very good problem to have.”
