3-year-old Summary: Bangkok Hottie packs too much heat again

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Bangkok Hottie goes back-to-back at Group 2 level

The classy and consistent Bangkok Hottie (Too Darn Hot {GB}) added the G2 Tea Rose Stakes to her record with a tenacious on-speed effort at Randwick in the hands of Kerrin McEvoy, to now go with her last-start win in the G2 Furious Stakes.

The David Payne-trained filly was put outside the leader Rachini (Zoustar) by McEvoy and travelled along quite contently, while Chilly Girl (Trapeze Artist) sat in the trail.

Sequinned (Pinatubo {Ire}) started overracing quite badly, so Zac Lloyd allowed her to stride more freely three-wide near the pace, which added some tempo. But all honours were with Bangkok Hottie, who kicked strongly to score by three-quarters of a length.

Striking Alibi (Hanseatic) was unlucky, failing to get clear running early in the home straight, but when she did, she dashed into second. Global Goal (Pinatubo {Ire}) showed she is right on target for the mile in the G1 Flight Stakes, running on strongly out wide in what was a lovely trial with an eye on an extra furlong in a few weeks' time.

Winning trainer David Payne deflected praise to McEvoy for the winning ride and has no fears about the mile in a few weeks.

“We didn’t want her that handy, but the way the track was playing, I said to Kerrin (McEvoy), ‘I’m leaving it to you’. And he does the right thing.

“I wish she could get a decent draw where she could be covered up. Maybe in the Flight Stakes, hopefully.

“She steps up all the time so I don’t think it (the mile) will worry her.”

Asked how the race had panned out, McEvoy explained that he had been a little concerned early on.

“She was quickly into stride but was a little bit worried when that horse came up on our outside. Got her a little bit fired up at the half way mark. Just let that thing go in front knowing I was going to run it down. That is exactly what she did.”

McEvoy was also full of praise for the filly's attitude and versatility.

“She has a good mind but is lightly raced. She knows what her job is. She gets to the gates and really switches on. She is versatile. The option to go to the mile but they all do. Hopefully that best is still to see the mile out.”

Sales info: Bangkok Hottie was bred and is raced by the Thompson family.

Pedigree info: Bangkok Hottie is the second live-foal of seven-time winner Bangkok (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) who placed in the G2 Sapphire Stakes and G3 Birthday Card Stakes, Bangkok Hottie is the only stakes winner within the first three generations of her family.

Bangkok has produced a 2-year-old full brother to Bangkok Hottie, and in August foaled a colt by the exciting young sire City Of Troy (USA).

Blind Raise raises his hand in the prelude

The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Blind Raise (NZ) (Ace High) put the writing on the wall that he had improved from his 2-year-old form with an impressive win in the Listed McKenzie Stakes two weeks ago, and he emphasised that with a brilliant victory in the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude over 1400 metres in an action-packed race on Saturday.

Early on, it was Alchemist (Shamus Award) that led, with American Eagle (Too darn Hot {GB}) handy but initially making Blake Shinn work on Blind Raise, who was caught three-wide with no cover before eventually making it outside the leader.

Then, approaching the 600-metre mark, Ethan Brown aboard Wolf Gap (Palace Pier {GB}) took off to join the leaders and make it interesting, but Shinn was still sitting quiet on the bridle. Blind Raise had the tenacity to kick away and score by just under three lengths in a super performance, from Tornado Valley (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who ran on for second, and American Eagle, who battled on solidly for third.

Co-trainer Trent Busuttin thought Blind Raise’s demeanour suggested he was ready, having improved from his first-up win.

“He’s improved a hell of a lot. He’s such a relaxed, calm horse, and first-up off the back of one trial at Sandown, he was sweating, he was jig-jogging, he was up-and-about, but today he was asleep and I knew it was game on.”

Busuttin was also impressed with the horse's ability to quicken when the pressure went on.

“He’s a horse with a good turn of foot. When they whipped around and Blake was still sitting pretty on him, I was pretty happy.

“He will go into the Guineas without another run. It was a two-week turnaround without a break and it’s three weeks to the Guineas and another two weeks… to the Cox Plate.”

Winning jockey Blake Shinn, when asked if that was a statement ahead of the Guineas, agreed that it was.

“It definitely was. He’s an exceptional horse. I’m just delighted to get a win for Trent and Natalie, they’re great judges of horses. It didn’t work for the horse in the winter when they took him to Queensland and they’ve come back and he’s just got a real aura about him.

Asked how the race had unfolded, Shinn explained the pressure Blind Raise had faced early.

“Mark made him work a little bit early and I had to give him a bit of a breather which we did but then they came at him early but he won as he liked in the end and untouched,” Shinn said.

The jockey was already looking ahead to the Guineas.

“We’ve got three weeks into the Guineas, and he was off a two week backup into today off one trial into his first up run, so I’m pleased he’s got three weeks into the Guineas, Trent can do what he likes with him and it’s exciting.

Sales info: Blind Raise was purchased for NZ$70,000 by Busuttin Young Racing from The Oaks Stud draft at the 2025 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.

Pedigree info: Blind Raise is by Ace High, and is the second foal out of the placed Darci Brahma (NZ) mare Away Cruising (NZ), who has also left the eight-time Philippines winner Usir (NZ) (American Pharoah {USA}).

Blind Raise’s grandam was the Champion mare Seachange (NZ) (Cape Cross {Ire}) who was the New Zealand Horse of the Year in the 2007/2008 season and she won seven Group 1 races.

This is also the extended family of the Group 1 winner Keepa Cruisin (NZ) (Keeper), Coolmore Stud’s Group 2 winning young stallion Storm Boy, the Group 1 winner Keepa Cruisin (NZ) (Keeper) and the Group 2 winner and G1-placed Antrim Coast (NZ) (Roc De Cambes {NZ}).

Away Cruising, in recent times, has left a 2-year-old colt by Ace High, a yearling colt by Almanzor (Fr), and is due to foal to Almanzor again this spring.

Icelady cooly picks up her maiden in the prelude

It’s one thing for any horse to break through for their first win, but for connections of the very progressive Ciaron Maher-trained filly Icelady (Maurice {Jpn}), they have managed to do it in the G2 Thousand Guineas Prelude, which now puts her in a great spot ahead of the G1 Thousand Guineas in the coming weeks.

Even though she was still a maiden, Icelady’s form was very strong, having placed at Group 3-level in Adelaide as a 2-year-old and last start running a very good second behind the exciting Over Excited (Zoustar), who subsequently was placed behind the potential star filly Satono Glow (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}), so the form looked strong.

Ethan Brown jumped Icelady out quickly and she took up the running, while her stablemate Saintly Dancer (NZ) (Wild Ruler) settled second on the outer and another stablemate, Mystical Realm (Maurice {Jpn}) took the trail.

Brown kicked strongly at the top of the straight, with Saintly Dancer looming at the 250-metre mark, but Icelady found another gear and went on to defeat her stablemate by three-quarters of a length.

Profligate (Xtravagant{NZ}) was nice in third, running on strongly against the pattern, while the filly with the Guineas flashlight on her was clearly Portinari (Home Affairs), who ran on very strongly for fourth. She should love the mile in the upcoming Group 1.

Winning trainer Ciaron Maher explained how Icelady was one of the best maidens around and how he nearly went for a maiden on Sunday instead.

“She was probably one of the best maidens in the country, there was a maiden with a $100,000 bonus tomorrow at Bendigo but we thought she was right in this race and Browny (Ethan Brown) gave her a good positive ride, she's a tough horse, she was beaten by a good horse last week of Freedman’s that franked the form.

Maher said he was delighted to get a result for a good bunch of owners, including the Thompson Creek crew, with whom he bought the filly.

“The Thompson Creek crew, they've been great supporters basically my whole career and we're rapt to get another good horse for them so they're on to the Guineas.

When asked about the win, Ethan Brown suggested she is a nice filly who should progress to the mile with no problems next time out.

“Group two to break your maiden, very good. Congratulations to all connections. She's a nice filly. She's got a good racing style, she put herself up on speed over just short of 1,200 (metres) last start, so we were keen to make use of her barrier speed, control the race. Rail out 10 probably assisted us a bit, but she fended off the second horse well. It was a tough effort.”

Brown was impressed with her willingness to fight.

“She showed her good will to win then, well done to Ciaron and their team. Bit of a step up in trip but we were able to pull it off and as I said, she's one to follow.”

And he believes the extra distance will be right up her alley.

“She will get it (the mile). I thought she relaxed quite well then, she was a bit fresh first up. She had a bit more fitness on her side and probably a little bit more of a lid on her, proved that today and up to a mile, I think, will only suit.”

Sales info: Icelady was purchased for $130,000 by Thompson Creek Thoroughbreds and Ciaron Maher Racing from the Glenn Lee Thoroughbreds draft at the 2025 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.

Pedigree info: Icelady is the first foal out of the three-time winning Snitzel mare Lady Patricia. Lady Patricia is beautifully bred being a full-sister to the dual Group 3-winner and ill-fated stallion Spill The Beans, and a half-sister to the two-time Group 1-winner Kenedna (Not A Single Doubt) and the recent Listed Wyong Cup winner Matusalem (The Autumn Sun).

This is also the extended family of the G1 Flight Stakes winner Speak Fondly (Northern Meteor) and the Group 2-winner Wild And Proud (Snowland).

Lady Patricia in recent times has left a 2-year-old filly by Maurice (Jpn), a yearling colt by Pierro and missed to Castelvecchio last spring.

Yulong’s filly finishes quickest

It was the famous Yulong colours to the fore in the 3-year-old Classic Preview at Caulfield on Saturday over 1800 metres, as the lightly raced filly Quick Finish (Grunt {NZ}) thrived over the extended distance to score in dominant fashion in a strong staying performance.

Jye McNeil allowed Quick Finish to gradually roll to the lead and take up the running, as Utopic Future (I Am Invincible) had to work quite hard from a wide gate to sit outside the leader.

The tempo was strong enough as Arashi Flash (Tagaloa) took the trail among a clump of horses just behind the pace. Upon straightening, it looked like horses improving wide were looming into the fight, but McNeil found a kick with Quick Finish at the 300 metres and she sustained that run in a promising staying rehearsal to score by just under half a length.

Icy You (Pinatubo {Ire}) ran on nicely for second, while fellow Yulong-owned Frank Whisper (Frankel {GB}) looks all over a Derby horse after running into third placing following a freshen-up since his maiden win over 1700 metres in late July.

McEvoy Racing’s Racing Manager Rayan Moore was impressed with the winning effort, especially with a few things against the promising filly on the day.

“It was a fantastic effort today, she has been some five or six weeks between runs, off a synthetic winter meeting to here a Caulfield on a beautifully prepared track,” Moore said.

“It’s fantastic for Mr Zhang and his team, Danny Roulston is here today, Sam (Fairgray), Jun (Zhang) and they have given us a really nice home-bred filly going forward, by Grunt and out of a Golden Horn mare, I think she is going to lap up the Oaks distance.”

Asked about potential plans ahead for the filly, Moore outlined an obvious path towards the spring's staying features.

“Probably back here in an Ethereal. It's probably the likely target, and then that sets up nicely for an Oaks so it’s very exciting,” Moore said.

Sales info: Quick Finish was passed in short of her $30,000 reserve at the 2025 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. She is now raced by her breeders Yulong Investments.

Pedigree info: Quick Finish is out of the unraced Golden Horn (GB) mare Gentle Strokes, who is a half-sister to the six-time winner and Group 3 and Listed-placed filly Poster Girl (Alabama Express) and the six-time winner and Listed-placed Sketched - Pacific Master (Sing.) (Snitzel).

This is also the extended family of the dual Listed-winner Universal Order (GB) (Universal {Ire}) and the Group-winner and multiple Group 1-placed City Style (USA) (City Zip {USA}).

Gentle Strokes in recent times has left a 2-year-old filly by Written Tycoon who the Well Written (Written Tycoon) connection of Stephen Marsh Racing and Dylan Johnson Bloodstock purchased from the Yulong draft for $150,000, a yearling filly by Alabama Express and is due to foal to Growing Empire next month.