Qafila took the Arrowfield Stud resident‘s tally of individual Group 1 winners to double figures when she triumphed in the TAB South Australia Derby while Dubious showed a sharp turn of foot to claim top honours in the Moet & Chandon Champagne S.
Trained by David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, Qafila is a resilient filly who was on a seven-day back-up after finishing fourth in the G1 Australasian Oaks.
“She’s a tremendous filly and she deserves this Group 1,” Ben Hayes said. “She’s been competing at the highest level her whole career and it’s fantastic to get the win for Shadwell Stud.”
Qafila was purchased by them for $450,000 out of Attunga Stud’s draft to the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
“She’s a tremendous filly and she deserves this Group 1.” - Ben Hayes.
She is a daughter of Zighy Bay (USA) ( Tapit {USA}), who is a half-sister to the international Group 3 winners Mozu Superflare (USA) (Speightstown {USA}) and Sacristy (USA) (Pulpit {USA}) .
“Shadwell is our biggest supporters and to get a Group 1 for them is great,” Hayes said.
A previous winner of the G2 Angus Armanasco S. and the Listed Debutant S., Qafila sat in the trail in the Derby before she was allowed to stride to the front before the turn and she had no trouble staving off her opposition.
“She’s pulled up out of this race fantastic and hardly had a blow,” Hayes said. “It’s a huge thrill and she had them put away 200 metres out and couldn’t have won more dominantly.”
Qafila never looked in any danger and comfortably held the challenge of Savvy Oak (NZ) (Savabeel) at bay with the favourite Mr Quickie (Shamus Award), who had won seven of his previous starts, a battling third ahead of Chapada (Bullet Train {GB}).
Qafila winning the SA Derby
Second Group 1
For successful jockey Cory Parish it was a second Group 1 victory, his first coming aboard the Lindsay Park-trained the 50-1 longshot Boom Time (Flying Spur) in the 2017 Caulfield Cup.
“It’s another to get another Group 1 on the board,” he said. “After I won the Caulfield Cup a few people said it was just a fluke and you’ll never see him do it again.
“I have now and I’ll keep on working my way up and keep on going.”
Parish had Qafila travelling overtime in the trail and he angled off the fence before the turn to take control of the race into the straight.
“After I won the Caulfield Cup a few people said it was just a fluke and you’ll never see him do it again.” – Cory Parish.
“Being the only filly in the race she had an extra two kilos off her back and she’s such a strong horse,” Parish said.
“I was travelling really well and I thought I’d nearly gone too soon, but at the same time she was actually dragging me there. I had to keep here where she was happy and we got to the front.”
Parish said when he asked Qafila to round off her effort she responded immediately.
“When I drew the stick she just kept on finding, she did it easily to the line to be honest. I don’t get that many opportunities.
“I do the best I can and I’ve done that again. Hopefully, it keeps on paying dividends and I can keep working my way up.”
Dubious shows his quality in Champagne
The well-travelled Dubious, also by Not A Single Doubt continued to take everything in his stride during a busy 2-year-old season and produced a sizzling performance to win the G2 Moet & Chandon Champagne S. at Doomben.
Successful on debut in the G3 Breeders’ Plate at Randwick in the spring, he then went for the first time to Queensland to win again before finishing runner-up in the Magic Million Classic.
Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace gave Dubious a break before he ran third in the G2 Todman S. and it was back to the sunshine state after failing on a heavy track in the G1 Golden Slipper S.
Dubious was ridden for the first time in the Champagne by James McDonald and he said the improved underfoot conditions had allowed the youngster to show his quality.
Dubious winning the Champagne S.
“What a dude of a colt, he’s very push-button. On the better ground he was lethal.”
“What a dude of a colt, he’s very push-button. On the better ground he was lethal.” – James McDonald.
Dubious settled in the body of the field and once he was into clear air in the straight his response was electric.
“We got a lovely run and he was travelling on the corner,” McDonald said. “It was just a matter of getting the splits at the right time and we did.”
Dubious accelerated quickly for a comfortable victory at the expense of the dead-heaters Strasbourg (I Am Invincible) and Czarson (Stratum).
