Asked to compete in just one stakes race in 14 starts, Hawkes Racing’s five-year-old Master Of Design gelding Greyworm led home a quartet of Group 1 winners in Saturday’s Group III TAB Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
With Tommy Berry riding the near while gelding at 56kgs, Greyworm led at every call to defeat the BRC Stradbroke Handicap winner Trekking by one and a quarter lengths with the ATC Royal Randwick Guineas hero Kementari (Lonhro) the same distance back in third.
Triple Group 1 winner Le Romain clocked in fourth ahead of the Chairman Sale bound dual Group 1 winner In Her Time.
Greyworm had not been asked to contest a stakes race until his previous start when fourth in the Group III Maurice McCarten Stakes at Rosehill.
“He’s a horse that has just kept improving, co-trainer Michael Hawkes said.
“He’s never put a foot wrong since joining our stable. He is just a pure racehorse. When they get to him he just finds more, that’s what he’s all about.
“He’s beat some pretty handy horses there but he is a handy horse himself.
“Today was his test. He has never been against this quality of horse before. Tommy rode him perfectly. He is a lovely fresh horse who is getting better as he gets older.”
Previously trained by Kris Lees and Michael Kent, Greyworm advances his record to 8 wins, 2 seconds and 2 thirds from 14 starts having been purchased on Inglis Digital for $110,000 in 2018 after winning three trials for Kris Lees.
He is the best of two winners from three to race out of the 4-time winning Dash For Cash mare Miracle Magic.
A descendant of the 1987 Group 1 VATC Blue Diamond Stakes winner Midnight Fever, Miracle Magic has a 2yo colt by O’Lonhro and a filly foal by Highland Reel (IRE).
She was covered by Galileo’s record-setting son again last spring.
Greyworm becomes the second stakes winner for Greta West Stud’s Group 1 winning Redoute’s Choice stallion Master Of Design after the Group 1 WRC Thorndon Mile winner The Mitigator.