3YO Summary: Natural Fling reminds McEvoy of Sunlight in Quezette win

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Quezette win comes naturally to McEvoys’ Fling

Not seen on raceday since running second to The Next Episode (Snitzel) in the $1 million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic in May, Natural Fling wasted no time in enhancing both her own record and that of her sire, Champion First Season Sire Home Affairs, when taking out the G3 Quezette Stakes on resumption on Saturday at Caulfield.

Trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, the 3-year-old filly took control of the race from the jump and cruised home to record victory by an impressive four lengths over Scintillation (I Am Invincible), with Oh Yes She Did (Yes Yes Yes) another three quarters of a length away in third.

She posted a slick time of 1:03.91, half a second quicker than the G3 Vain Stakes for 3-year-old colts and geldings on the same card.

"We had to pay good money for her at the sales, but we have really good owners in her and they stumped up the cash to buy into a Home Affairs filly," Calvin McEvoy said. The filly was a winner on debut at this same track before her Queensland quest.

"These colours are famous within our stables and we've always had her at the front of the bus in our team of 2-year-olds and now 3-year-olds, and her trial was fantastic, so for her to come here and back it up in a great race, it's so pleasing.

"She's grown up this preparation and she was impressive, she put a gap on a quality field.”

The win drew comparisons to previous McEvoy star Sunlight (Zoustar), who won the Quezette en route to beating the boys in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes in 2018. McEvoy could see the filly following a similar trajectory towards a Group 1 win, but with several other worthy targets along the way.

“We won this race with a filly (Sunlight) that carried the same colours, who was very good, and this filly may be like her,” he said.

"There is the Cap D'antibes which comes up at Flemington, there is the Coolmore which would be a great race to win, and we may even consider the Moir with no weight. They are all good options.

“She is now a Group winner which is so important for the pedigree and I don't think that is the end for her."

Sales: Natural Fling was a $550,000 purchase for McEvoy Mitchell Racing and Belmont Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Yarraman Park Stud.

Pedigree: Natural Fling is the second foal out of three-time winner The Natural (Fastnet Rock), who had already hit the board last season with G3 Hawkesbury Guineas placegetter Wootton Lass (Wootton Bassett {GB}). The Natural is herself a half-sister to dual Group 1 Fiveandahalfstar (Hotel Grand) and a full sister to Group performer and stakes producer Wordplay. Amongst her other sisters are the dams of G1 Spring Champion Stakes winner El Castello (Castelvecchio) and dual Listed winner Rhapsody Rose (Star Witness).

Graham Begg Racing and Rohan Hughes Bloodstock bought The Natural’s new 2-year-old, The Whiz (Brave Smash {Jpn}), for $300,000 at this year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. She missed the following season, then visited Too Darn Hot (GB) in 2025 upon his return to Darley Kelvinside.

Hard Kick back to best in Vain Stakes

The winner of the Listed Talindert Stakes last season, it would be fair to say that Hard Kick (All Too Hard) didn’t deliver in his first up run in the back half of July, fading to sixth in a juvenile handicap at Flemington, but all is forgiven after the 3-year-old gelding bounced back in the G3 Vain Stakes on Caulfield’s Saturday card.

Taken straight to the front by Damien Lane, the Lindsay Park trainee came into the home straight under a fierce pace. Despite starting to tire within the final furlong, he was able to hold off offenses from Organised Crime (I Am Invincible), a full brother to Newgate Farm stallion King’s Gambit, and Confederation (Wootton Bassett {GB}) to win by a third of a length.

$1 million VOBIS Showdown winner Big Wigs (Gold Standard) flew home to come fourth, ahead of antepost favourite and G1 Blue Diamond Stakes runner-up Closer To Free (Street Boss {USA}).

"It was really good to see him be able to get the result today," said co-trainer Ben Hayes. "He’s a horse we have a very high opinion of and we think he has a very bright future. We can’t wait for the rest of his prep now.

"We had high expectations first-up and he just got it wrong. He was too fresh, he was sweating up, even when he paraded.

“These are some of the more satisfying wins you can have. There’s a lot of hard work that’s gone into getting this horse to win today.”

After the disappointment of the gelding’s first up performance, the Hayes brothers tinkered with his gear and worked on his manners.

“Today, he was still on his toes but he wasn’t sweating,” Hayes said. He was in a lot better mood. We took our time with him, we took him back to the trials and gave him a little gear change (adding a tongue tie).

“Damian gets along very well with this horse and it was a 10 out of 10 ride. He got him in a rhythm. We wouldn’t hesitate to run him back down the straight (at his next start). There's a lot of options, we’ll have a talk amongst all us boys and work out where to go.”

Ultimately, the spring aim for Hard Kick will be to deny the colts victory in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at the end of October.

“I hope he can run 1200 metres because the Coolmore is the race he will probably head towards,” Hayes said.

Sales: Hard Kick was purchased by Avesta Bloodstock for $30,000 at the 2025 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, before being re-offered through the 2025 Inglis Sydney Ready to Race sale where Lindsay Park picked him up for $140,000 from the Hannover Lodge draft.

Pedigree: Hard Kick is out of Exceed And Excel mare Friendly Donna, a granddaughter of Donna Intelligente (Dehere {USA}), a winning half-sister to the G3 Sweet Embrace Stakes winner Burning Sands (Marju {Ire}) and the Malaysian Listed winner Jeram New Village (NZ) (Faltaat {USA}).

She’s No Saint goes to next level at Ruakaka

Connections of Ruakaka-based She’s No Saint (Prague) had set their sights high after the filly was a dominant winner of the Northland Breeders’ Stakes Preview, and she thoroughly delivered on that promise in the G3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes on Saturday.

She’s No Saint made a play for the front from the jump and had to work hard to hold on to her lead, with a hot pace from the rest of the pack. Turning for home, it looked like eventual runner-up Shalabiya (NZ) (Brazen Beau) might catch her, but the Michelle Bradley-trained filly kicked again to score victory by three and three-quarter-lengths, with another length back to Silhouette (NZ) (Armory {Ire}) in third.

“It is great when you have got a plan and it comes off,” Bradley said. “I was a little bit worried when she was racing a bit keenly, but George (Rooke) knows what he is doing and I left it up to him.”

Jockey George Rooke had also been in the irons for the filly’s victory in the Preview.

Bradley hadn’t anticipated such a hot performance, despite having faith that She’s No Saint would deliver in her first attempt at a stakes race.

“I wasn’t expecting that, she has really surprised me,” she said. “With her races and trials previously, I have spaced them a month out, so this is the first time she has gone two weeks (between runs). I am super happy for the owners, it is fantastic.

“She is just maturing more and more, and she is developing into a lovely filly. Around the stables she is so quiet, but to ride, you have still got to be awake, you can’t go to sleep on her.

“She is just doing everything with ease, which is fantastic.”

The Group 3 victory marked a second stakes winner for Prague, who now stands at Oaklands Stud in Queensland and sired last season’s G3 Magic Night Stakes victress Pembrey.

“One thing I would take out of today is that I would like her to settle a little bit,” Bradley added. “Whether that needs to be in behind and get some cover, but we have got black-type now.”

All roads now lead to the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas in November for Bradley’s stable star.

Sales: A $65,000 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale purchase for Highline Thoroughbreds and Paul Moroney Bloodstock, She’s No Saint was then purchased by her trainer for NZ$55,000 at Karaka last year.

Pedigree: She’s No Saint is the first winner for Poetic Diva (Poet’s Voice {GB}), who is a granddaughter of European matriarch and Group 3 winner Anna Of Saxony (GB) (Ela Mana Mou {Ire}). Amongst Anna Of Saxony’s descendants are the likes of European Champion 3YO Adayar (Ire) and French Champion 2YO and sire National Defense (GB).

Poetic Diva has a filly by Royal Meeting (Ire) on the ground and visited the sire again last spring.

Chilly Girl ice cold to win the Rosebud

The Darley Princess Series beckons for Chilly Girl (Trapeze Artist) after Bert Vieira’s homebred filly defeated well-bred Blue Door (Stay Inside) to take home the Listed Rosebud at Rosehill on Saturday, a race that traditionally sets the boys up for the G1 Golden Rose Stakes in September.

The winner of the G3 Widden Stakes last autumn in her only start, Chilly Girl returned in style to swoop home late past Blue Door, who looked to have the race in the bag as the field straightened for home, and snatch victory from her fellow Group-winning filly by a length.

Another length further back came Central Europe (Frankel {GB}) in third, marking his third stakes placing in three starts.

“She was great," said jockey Tim Clark, who also partnered Chilly Girl to victory in the Widden. "She's returned really well, a bigger and stronger filly. She's still a little bit new but there's plenty of upside."

Gerald Ryan, who trains the filly with Sterling Alexiou, confirmed that the Princess Series was next in store for Chilly Girl as she deviates from the colts’ path.

"We will go to the Furious Stakes and then the Tea Rose before we decide at the end of 1400 metres whether we try her at a mile or keep her back to the shorter races," he said. "I reckon she would get a mile."

Sales: Chilly Girl is a homebred for Bert Vieira, who also bred and raced her sire Trapeze Artist.

Pedigree: Chilly Girl is the final foal of I Got Chills (General Nediym), winner of the Listed Maribyrnong Trial and the Listed St Albans Stakes at her first two starts. I Got Chills was retired after the filly's birth. Chilly Girl is her first stakes winner, granting her a perfect record of 10 foals to the track for 10 winners.

The close family includes stakes-winning sprinter Rise ‘N’ Shine (Luskin Star) and G2 Pago Pago Stakes-performed Code (Marauding {NZ}).