David Hayes weighs up All-Star Mile for Fifty Stars after Blamey Stakes win
David Hayes and Gerry Ryan have a $2.5 million puzzle after Fifty Stars vaulted into elite company with Group 2 Blamey Stakes victory at Flemington.
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David Hayes and Gerry Ryan have a $2.5 million puzzle after Fifty Stars vaulted into elite company with Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1400m) victory at Flemington on Saturday.
Hayes and Ryan are desperate to snaffle a Group 1 win with the impeccably bred import and had notionally targeted next weekend’s Australian Cup as the five-year-old’s prime objective.
But Blamey success guaranteed Fifty Stars a berth in the $5 million All-Star Mile at Caulfield on March 14, when the winning connections will pocket $2.5 million.
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Hayes appeared to favour the Australian Cup post-race, but the All-Star Mile, the world’s richest mile race, has clear financial appeal.
“We’ve got a lot of thinking to do in the next 24 hours after we see how he pulls up,” Hayes said. “I bet his last 600 (metres) was as good as anything in the (Australian) Guineas. It might make him a stallion winning that sort of race (All-Star Mile) anyway in years to come.”
Fifty Stars 🌟wins the Blamey Stakes.@cwilliamsracing | @lindsayparkrace pic.twitter.com/Hamyvg5Yjf
— 7HorseRacing 🎠(@7horseracing) February 29, 2020
Travelling three wide with 58kg, Fifty Stars surged home, covering the final 600m in 33.22sec compared to Alligator Blood’s 33.56 in the Guineas.
With midweek rain forecast, Hayes hinted the elements could influence a decision on Saturday’s Australian Cup.
“He loves a little bit of cut in the track,” he said. “But he ran really well in the 1400m (C.F. Orr Stakes) at Caulfield, stamped himself favourite in this race, but he is better at Flemington. So we’re back to the Australian Cup, aren’t we?”
Fifty Stars joins an elite band of gallopers to win consecutive Blamey Stakes, notably Tobin Bronze, Sailors Guide, Dhaulagiri, Hyperno, Vo Rogue, Better Loosen Up and Durbridge.
“He’s a three-time Group 2 winner and Group 1 placed,” Hayes said.
“Two Blameys in a row is a great effort.”
Racing Victoria will announce up to four wildcards for the All-Star Mile tomorrow.
Streets Of Avalon’s connections have already indicated the Group 1 Futurity Stakes winner will accept a wildcard.
Fierce Impact, Alizee and Superstorm are among those in wildcard contention.
KING’S EVIDENCE OF TWO-MILE POTENTIAL
Michael Manley
King Of Leogrance lived up to trainer Danny O’Brien’s belief in his staying capacity with a comfortable win in the Roy Higgins Quality (2600m) at Flemington and confirmed his place in tomorrow week’s Adelaide Cup.
O’Brien, who trained Vow And Declare to win last year’s Melbourne Cup, said if King Of Leogrance could run 3200m it would open up his race options.
King Of Leogrance! Exciting stayer.@DOBrienRacing | @LaneDamian pic.twitter.com/CetqLgHj86
— 7HorseRacing 🎠(@7horseracing) February 29, 2020
“He’s a horse we’re hoping can run two miles. He’s by Camelot, and Lloyd and Nick (Williams) have had a lot of success with them in Europe,” O’Brien said.
“He’s a very clean-winded natural staying horse, so I can’t see why he can’t run it. He’s only had 10 starts so we hope he keeps progressing.”
O’Brien was also pleased he had won his first race for Lloyd and Nick Williams, who have sent him several horses after they closed Macedon Lodge last year.
“It’s nice to get on the scoreboard,” O’Brien said.
“He’s a really nice stayer and I thought he was better suited over 2600m, and the step up from 1800m wasn’t going to be a problem for him.”
O’Brien said he had trained two fillies for team Williams 20 years ago but failed to win a race with them.
King Of Leogrance’s jockey Damian Lane said the horse settled well and he was confident he had a better turn of foot than his rivals.
King Of Leogrance ($3.50) defeated Dabiyr ($3.50) by 1¼ lengths with Naval Warfare ($7.50) two lengths away in third place.