Fresh off his win in the $5,000,000 All-Star Mile at Moonee Valley, the courageous Mr Brightside defended his title in the $4,000,000 Group 1 Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick.
Ridden by Zac Purton for Ben and JD Hayes, Mr Brightside (Bullbars) needed to did deep to hold the Dubawi import My Oberon (IRE) by a head with Australian Bloodstock’s Siyouni import Nugget three-quarters of a length back in third.
A 5yo gelded son of Bullbars, Mr Brightside advances his record to eleven wins, two seconds, and two thirds with earnings of $8,242,137,
“Last year for Ben and I and the team at Lindsay Park, what this horse did to win it and then go back-to-back it puts him in rare air,” JD Hayes said.
“He’s a very special horse, we’ve known it all along, but he’s now a very special horse in his own right doing something like that. Couldn’t be happier.”
Ben Hayes said the NZ-bred gelding had been life-changing.
“He a special horse we’ll never forget him but he’s got so much to go which is exciting,” he said.
“He’s only turning six. We actually weren’t sure he’d won; we were holding our breath. What a ride by Zac (Purton) ten out of ten. Congratulations to everyone at the farm, it’s a team effort to get it done. Just so excited.”
Zac Purton said he has achieved a good deal of success for ben and JD’s father David Hayes in Hong Kong.
“The connection I have with David in Hong Kong and getting to know his boys after having a bit of a drink and a laugh about this horse in this race a few weeks back, I won’t tell you what was said,” Purton revealed.
“We just drew the perfect gate and had the perfect run. It’s not easy to win one Doncaster, it’s very hard to win two, especially on testing ground like this. All the credit has got to go to the stable.
“When I gave him a squeeze he got there too quick, I had to idle him down a little bit again. He was laboring in the ground, but he’s so honest his class got him through.
Purchased privately after a luckless fifth at Matamata on debut in February last year, Mr Brightside was a $22,000 purchase for Phill Cataldo Bloodstock (BAFNZ) from the Phoenix Park draft at the 2019 NZB Karaka May Sale. He failed to find a buyer willing to pay his $50,000 reserve when reoffered at the 2019 NZB Ready To Run Sale.
The son of Bullbars is the best of two winners from the Tavistock mare Lilahjay whose dam Keepable (Keeper) is a half-sister to Group 1 New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas and Group 1 WRC Captain Cook Stakes winner Foxwood (Centaine) and Group III AJC Frank Packer Plate winner Rockwood (Rock Of Gibraltar).
