Edged out by Street Cry (IRE) for champion sire honours last season, Not A Single Doubt has been blitzed by his Arrowfield stablemate Snitzel this term, but week in week out there are few more reliable stallions at stud.
Forty minutes after Payroll became Not A Single Doubt's 43rd stakes winner and his 15th of the season following her win in the Listed Spear Chief Handicap at Doomben, mighty midget Single Gaze claimed a tragedy-marred Group II PJ O'Shea Stakes.
Aided by a rails-hugging ride by Damien Oliver, Payroll came from well back early to turn back the challenge of
Trainer Richard Laming said Oliver's ride was the difference.
"It is why you put the best jockeys on them. He knows what he is doing and I doubt if he could have won going around them," Laming said.
Laming said Payroll had originally been aimed at the Group One Tatts Tiara on June 24 but he would now reconsider.
"She is a mare in form so it is the obvious race for her. But we will have to see about bringing her back in distance now the race is at Doomben," Laming said.
Oliver said Payroll has the attributes of a top horse.
"She sprinted really quickly. She relaxes so well she could probably get 2000 metres," Oliver said.
Purchased by her trainer for $80,000 from the Macquarie Stud draft at the 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Payroll advances her record to 3 wins, 2 seconds and 3 thirds from 17 starts with earnings of $266,900.
Her year younger half-brother Arbeitsam came close to making it a family double when edged out by Test the World at Rosehill Gardens.
Their dam Workhard has had a troubled history since foaling Arbeitsam. She has missed three times and slipped once.
From the family of dual Group I winner Bawalaksana and multiple Group III winner Damaschino, Workhard (Red Ransom) was covered by Scissor Kick last spring.
Gorgeous chestnut mare Single Gaze earned a fourth stakes win in the Group II PJ O'Shea Stakes.
After tracking the pacesetting Preferment, Single Gaze hit the lead at the top of the straight under Kathy O'Hara but came under immediate pressure from Cylinder Beach.
But just as quickly, Cylinder Beach dipped and went back through the field.
Tragically the 3-time stakes winning son of Showcasing (GB) could not be saved.
"I hate to see that sort of thing happen, I am so sorry for the connections and the trainer," winning trainer Nick Olive said.
"For a country trainer to get a horse of this quality and to have this mare turn up every time is a pretty rare thing.
"I don't think I'll get another one quite like her. We forget she ran third in the Magic Millions, raced in the Slipper as a two-year-old and now here she is winning Group II weight-for-age races."
"I will say my mare has got the heart of a tiger. We have stuck with Kathy O'Hara and I am so pleased we have."
The Group I Vinery Stud Stakes heroine advances her overall record to 5 wins, 4 seconds and 3 thirds from 21 starts for earnings of $1,448,600.
A $70,000 purchase by her trainer from the Redbank North draft at the 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Single Gaze (photo Lisa Grimm) is a half-sister to the stakes winner Le Val (Snitzel).
She is the third foal of the 3-time Sydney winner Redaluca's Gaze (Intergaze) who has an unraced 2yo colt from the final crop of Commands that was knocked down to Bahen Bloodstock/Eric Lucas for $280,000 at the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Her yearling colt by So You Think made $250,000 at this year's Magic Millions Gold Coast sale.
Redaluca's Gaze has a weanling colt by Not A Single Doubt and was bred back to Hinchinbrook last spring.
