Although the bulk of the Hayes dynasty is stationed at Euroa these days, the family maintains a strong interest in SA racing and the Hayeses were ecstatic when their three-year-old filly Qafila took out the Group 1 2500-metre SA Derby at Morphettville, one of three black type events, last Saturday.
Prepared by David Hayes, his son Ben Hayes and their brother-in-law/uncle Tom Dabernig, Qafila ($14) was in the firing line throughout the derby after settling in the first three.
The filly gave rider Cory Parish his second Group 1 success, his first having come in the 2017 Caulfield Cup on Boom Time for the Hayes/Hayes/Dabernig team.
Cared for in Adelaide at the Morphettville stable of Bill Papazaharoudakis, Qafila had indicated that a major win was around the corner with a nice fourth in Group 1 Schweppes Oaks of 2000 metres at Morphettville on April 28.
Qafila may now contest the Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm on June 1. Bred by Woodpark Stud of NSW, Qafila was a $450,000 yearling purchase by Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Australasia. She has earned $697,170 from 17 starts.
Qafila was the 11th filly to win the derby in the past 35 years and the first since the ill-fated West Australian Delicacy in 2015.
So good
Although he missed out on training the SA Derby winner when $2.50 favourite Mr Quickie finished third in the blue-ribbon event, trainer Phillip Stokes got some compensation when another three-year-old, So You Think filly So We Are ($13), won the listed Adelaide Guineas over 1600 metres.
So We Are came from worse than midfield to register her third win from nine starts.
Tony on top early
Angaston trainer Tony McEvoy started the day off well when two-year-old filly She Shao Fly won the Group 3 Sires’ Produce Stakes over 1400 metres on the Parks track.
Ridden by Dwayne Dunn, She Shao Fly ($3.60) was well placed throughout and led home Hinchpin in a McEvoy quinella.
McEvoy landed a second successive quinella when the Barend Vorster mount Tan Tat Trusting ($3.50) came from near last to beat Luke Currie-ridden stablemate Vinland in a benchmark 86 over 1400 metres.
Will powers to treble
Local horseman Will Clarken took out the training honours at the Morphettville meeting with a treble including back-to-back winners.
Clarken brought up the first leg of his running double when the Jason Holder ridden Magna Bella ($8) came from well back to win the 1050-metre handicap. His second winner, Split Lip ($4.20), came from midfield under Todd Pannell to win a benchmark 90 over 1200 metres.
Clarken completed a good day when Jake Toeroek had Parsifal ($2.70 favourite) well placed throughout in winning the 1100-metre SA Sprint Series Final.
Clarken’s three wins to Tony McEvoy’s two narrowed the gap on the Adelaide training premiership to 11, McEvoy leading 42-31.
Authority prevails
Dean Holland and Raquel Clark shared the riding honours at Mount Gambier last Friday with a double apiece.
Holland won on the Ricky Bruhn-trained Tontein ($3.30) and took the feature Mount Gambier Gold Cup (2403m) on the Dane Smith-trained $2 favourite Golden Authority.
Clark’s winners were Pickelhaube ($4.60) for Richard Wilson and Royal Boss ($3.60) for Michael O’Leary.
Tourneur dominates
Dom Tourneur was the leading rider at Gawler last Sunday with a treble on Eperdument ($3.40) for Shane Oxlade, Rapid Bay ($1.18 favourite) for Jake Stephens and Oh Mo ($2.60 favourite) for Sam Burford. Jason Holder rode a double on Dextiny ($2.30 equal favourite) for Ian Collins and the Darren Magro-prepared Bohemian Forest ($4).